Tumult
by Shockwave Syndrome
Summary: Shrewpaw survived the Twoleg monster only to be lost on the Great Journey. Along with six other cats, he struggles to find a new place to live. But sometimes even the warrior code isn't enough when StarClan themselves have lost faith.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Shrewpaw pulled himself out of the apprentices den, his thick fur snagging gently on the side of the bush. The brown tabby twisted his neck to fix it, only to feel a she-cat at his side, gently undoing the tangle.

He looked over, expecting to see Squirrelpaw, but his chest heaved in disappointment when he saw that it was only Whitepaw. Mumbling a thanks to the white she-cat, Shrewpaw padded off, his amber eyes alert as he searched the camp for his friend.

Squirrelpaw and Brambleclaw had just returned to tell Firestar that ThunderClan must move before the Twolegs destroy the forest. The small tabby still wasn't sure what to think about that. While it was undoubtedly true that things had changed in the forest, was it okay for them to just leave behind so many seasons of Clan life and start fresh somewhere else?

He didn't want to think about that now. What Shrewpaw wanted was just to go hunting and practice battle training with Squirrelpaw just like they did before she had to leave. They could laugh and purr and share tongues without a care in the world, if just for the day.

This was all only if he could find her.

A squeak from the nursery distracted him as he padded out into the clearing. Shrewpaw turned to see a golden brown she-cat throwing herself towards him, her paws outstretched as she attempted to trip the tom.

He gently raised his paws as she came sliding in front of him, landing on her belly. Then the little she-kit picked herself up and looked at him, purring amiably. "Morning, Shrewpaw!" she squeaked.

"Hey, Larchkit," Shrewpaw greeted his sister. The young kit's pelt was glossy and her eyes were sparkling with cheerfulness. She was still thin, he realized with a pang, but she was healthy and she was growing.

When Hollykit had died of starvation, the whole Clan had expected Larchkit to die as well. But his sister had pulled through, and Shrewpaw and Spiderpaw had worked their paws off hunting for her. For all his brother's rudeness, he was a strong cat who cared deeply for his family. Shrewpaw had no doubt that Spiderpaw would one day make a strong ThunderClan warrior, and he felt the same way about Squirrelpaw.

Even Cinderpelt had called it a miracle that Larchkit had survived. Ferncloud and Dustpelt were relieved, and it was easy to tell how much they loved Larchkit and Birchkit whenever they saw them. Shrewpaw could picture his mother's green eyes lighting up with warmth and his father licking his chest fur embarrassedy so no cat would see how happy or contended he truly was.

"I beat up Birchkit," she informed him proudly, puffing her chest out. While Shrewpaw cared for his two other siblings, he had grown exceptionally close to Larchkit, and she was always telling him about her latest adventure.

"Shrewpaw!"

The small brown tabby looked up to see his mentor, Thornclaw, waiting for him by the camp entrance. The golden brown tom was lashing his tail impatiently, his amber eyes narrowed as he waited for his apprentice.

Shrewpaw said his goodbyes to Larchkit and licked her gently on the head before padding off, his head bowed respectfully as he approached Thornclaw.

"Are you ready to go hunting?" asked his mentor, his tone kinder than his gaze. The two had grown close, though Shrewpaw never forgot that his mentor was older and far more experienced.

The tom flicked his tail to signal his agreement before pausing. "Thornclaw," he ventured unsurely. "I was wondering if Squirrelpaw could come hunting with us."

Thornclaw's eyes flashed disconcertingly. Sighing, the warrior shook his head. "I think Squirrelpaw already went out with Brambleclaw."

"Oh," mumbled Shrewpaw, crestfallen. He couldn't help the small stab of jealousy that ran through him at the thought of Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw together. Emitting a soft sigh, the young apprentice tried to push it aside.

Thornclaw placed his tail on his apprentice's flank comfortingly, as if he could guess what the young tom was feeling. "Come on," he murmured. "Let's go hunt."

- - - x - - -

Shrewpaw wearily padded over to the tall oak tree where he had buried his mouse. He had scented it almost the moment they stepped out of camp, and had caught it soon after. Thornclaw had watched, a proud gleam in his eyes. That had put them in a good mood, but it soon turned to foulness as no more prey scents reached them.

The sun had risen and the fur in Shrewpaw's back was beginning to prickle with the heat. It felt like they had been hunting for moons, but far the mouse was the only thing that he had caught. Shrewpaw had carried it with him as they padded out to where they would focus their hunting before burying it and dropping back into his crouch.

Thornclaw pressed his pelt against the younger cat's. "Don't worry about it," he said reassuringly. "None of the other Clans are finding prey either. Your mouse will feed a warrior or two."

Looking down at his paws, Shrewpaw wasn't so sure. The mouse was a tiny thing, and he knew that it would never satisfy one of the warriors.

"I should have been able to catch more!" he wailed, scuffing the ground with his paws. "I caught that mouse right away but then I couldn't find anything else!"

Thornclaw nosed him gently. "Shrewpaw," he said firmly, causing the tabby to look up. "There wasn't anything else left to find. Grab your mouse. Let's get back to camp."

Shrewpaw knew that his mentor was right. They were all the way on the other side of the territory from Sunningrocks, and the day was beginning to heat up. He dug up his mouse and clasped it gently in his jaws. The strong flavour made him salvitate, but the small brown tom held himself back from eating. It was one of the principle rules of the warrior code. _Kits and elders must be fed first._

Both toms turned to leave, Shrewpaw's head barely reaching up to Thornclaw's shoulder. His size was something that he wasn't proud of, though he did appreciate that it seperated him from the rest of the Clan. He was Thornclaw's shoulder-height, but Thornclaw wasn't even close to being the largest cat in the Clan. The golden brown tabby paled in comparison to Graystripe, or even to Brambleclaw.

_Brambleclaw._

He didn't know what to think about the large dark brown tabby. He had remianed for the most part indifferent to the tom before the destruction of the forest had begun, but once Brambleclaw had left, he had begun to consider him a traitor to the Clan, abandoning the warrior code when times where rough.

But now that Brambleclaw had returned, Shrewpaw knew that that wasn't the case. He still felt the same animosity towards Brambleclaw, but now it was for different reasons.

Now it was because of Squirrelpaw.

Ever since they had been little kits, Shrewpaw had always stuck close to Squirrelpaw, despite the fact that he was older. She had soon grown to be bigger than him, and he had found himself running to hide behind her instead of the other way around.

Still, he had considered her his best friend, even closer to him than Spiderpaw. They had trained together, fought together, and hunted together. When she had returned from her journey, Shrewpaw had been estatic. Now they would get to go hunting together all the time, just like they had when they were both young apprentices.

But now she wanted to go off hunting with Brambleclaw.

And he had to help Ferncloud take care of her kits.

"Shrewpaw?" asked Thornclaw hesitantly. He nosed his apprentice's flank.

Looking up, Shrewpaw saw that his mentor's eyes were flush with concern. "Let's go," he said through the mouse, his tone soft but firm. The tom looked away and began to pad back towards ThunderClan's makeshift camp. After pausing for a moment, Thornclaw followed and quickly overtook his apprentice.

After two pawsteps towards Sunningrocks, Shrewpaw stopped. He had scented something. The little tom dropped the mouse, prompting Thornclaw to turn around. "Are you okay?" asked the tom.

Shrewpaw nodded silently and dropped into a crouch, opening his mouth to scent. So he had been right. There was prey nearby. Thornclaw must have scented it too, for he fell silent and took a step back to watch his apprentice.

The young brown tom crept silently in the direction of the Thunderpath. Through the yellowing bracken, he could see the dark plumage of a large bird. He took another step and –

A twig cracked. The pheasant bolted, but Shrewpaw tore after it. It was large, but it was slow, and Shrewpaw found himself catching up. He just needed a little more time.

The Thunderpath loomed up in front of him, but Shrewpaw didn't stop. As his feet touched the harsh black dirt, he leapt through the air and dug his claws into the bird's sides.

As he landed on the other side, a sharp rush of air accelerated him forward, and Shrewpaw tumbled down into the grass, the bird still in his claws. He rolled over once on his side, landing with a dull thump. The pheasant cooed pathetically and he silenced it with a quick bite to the neck.

The tom pulled himself off the ground, ignoring the ache in his side wher he had hit the ground, and turned around to see Thornclaw watching with wide eyes. Shrewpaw frowned. He had never seen his mentor look so frightened.

He followed the tom's eyes to see the receding lights of a monster as it sped off into the distance, and suddenly Shrewpaw realized what that rush of air had been.

He could picture the monster a fraction of a second away from his body and realized that if he had hesitated a moment longer before leaping, his neck would have collided with the monster as it drove past. The small brown tom should shock-still, blinking as he realized how lucky he had been. His fur still felt ruffled from where the displaced air had pushed it, and the fur on his flanks felt singed with heat.

He padded back over the Thunderpath more carefully this time, dropping the pheasant at Thornclaw's paws.

"This could feed half the Clan," purred Thornclaw shakily. Neither of them needed to discuss how close a call that had been.

Looking down at the pheasant, the small brown tom imagined the scene when he brought it back to camp. Squirrelpaw would purr and congratulate him by nosing him, Dustpelt would look at him with gratitude, and Larchkit and Birchkit would be allowed the first bite.

The thought of his sister gaining strength and enjoying her share of the pheasant warmed the apprentice, making the risk and near death-experience feel worth it. His legs shook from relief as he gazed down at it, thanking StarClan for the prey.

StarClan was there for them. Shrewpaw had never doubted his warrior ancestors for a second.

He looked at Thornclaw, and the two of them exchanged glances. Though his mentor still looked rather startled, the tom's amber eyes glowed with pride, and a warm feeling rushed over Shrewpaw from his paws to the tip of his tail.

The tom looked down at the pheasant and picked it up in his jaws. Thornclaw followed suit, quickly grasping the mouse in his jaws. Without another word, the two cats padded back to ThunderClan camp.

- - - x - - -

**A/N:** Hey guys! The story is going to start out a little slow, detailing how they all get lost on the journey, but I promise that it'll pick up from there.

Also, if you read, please leave a review :)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The first thing the young apprentice felt when he woke up was the pang of hunger. Rolling over in his nest, he prodded the young tom beside him. His brother woke up, blinking his amber eyes sleepily.

"We should go hunting," he murmured curtly, dragging himself to his brown paws.

His brother yawned before nodding, standing up wearily. The sun shone into the den, turning the tom's underbelly a bright ginger in colour.

"So," began the brown tom as he padded over to the fresh-kill pile to pick out a rabbit that they could share. "What do you think of this whole moving to a new forest business?"

Taking a large bite of the rabbit, his brother looked thoughtful. "I think it could be a good idea…" he said after a short pause. "I just don't want us to get mixed up with the other Clans. What about you?"

The tom looked over to where their leader was padding out of his den, his head held high. "I think Tallstar might just be a little mad for agreeing to it," he mumbled.

"Don't be like that." Both cats turned to see another tom padding towards them. He had short white fur with grey on his ears and tail, and his amber eyes shone with a surprising amount of wisdom for his young age.

"Thistlepaw," said Adderpaw curtly, dipping his head, while his brother Weaselpaw seemed slightly more cheerful to see their fellow apprentice.

The mottled tom had a rabbit at his paws, and Adderpaw twisted his neck to see Webfoot and Onewhisker padding back into camp. Beside him, Weaselpaw's eyes widened.

"Have you been hunting all night?" he asked, while Adderpaw watched on. He and his brother had never been hunting at night, and he couldn't see a reason why Thistlepaw or the warriors had been out.

Thistlepaw nodded. "We wanted to get some hunting in before we left. After all, it's almost dawn," he mewed, looking up at the ever-lightening sky.

"Dawn…?" Adderpaw asked, before remembering. He cursed himself silently, groaning softly. _Of course_. They were leaving for the journey very soon. Today was the day.

"We're supposed to meet the other Clans at dawn," said Weaselpaw helpfully, and Adderpaw narrowed his eyes at his sibling, lashing his tail.

"I know that," he said stiffly, before padding off. Weaselpaw looked like he wanted to go after him, but Thistlepaw held him back gently.

Adderpaw dug his claws into the ground, leaving long scores. This moor was their home, and he didn't want to leave just because other cats said they had to. As for Crowpaw, he might have been from WindClan, but he was just an apprentice.

No, the light brown tabby would much prefer to stay in the old territory.

He looked up as Tallstar padded towards the camp entrance instead of the usual spot where he called them for a meeting. The black-and-white tom stood proudly, holding his head high in defiance of the cats who were against him.

"Let all cats, young or old, join at the camp entrance," he yowled. The rest of his words remained unspoken, but Adderpaw felt them deep inside his heart.

At Tallstar's command, WindClan assembled at their camp entrance. Adderpaw wedged his way in between Weaselpaw and Tornear, feeling the tabby's muscles tense and relax in a calming rhythm.

"Is everyone ready to leave?" Tallstar's kind but firm gaze swept over the assembled Clan cats, as if daring them to speak out against him.

Adderpaw looked down at the ground, scoring the packed brown earth with his claws. Unwilling to speak out against his leader, the tom nodded stiffly. His ears were pressed flat against his head, and he refused to look up at the black-and-white tom as he passed by.

The aging tom, who had walked past all of his Clan members, making sure that each and every one of them was prepared for the journey ahead, came to a stop beside Mudclaw.

The dark brown tabby looked up, his amber eyes shining with determination. "I'm ready, Tallstar," he said confidently, speaking for the rest of the Clan.

Tallstar dipped his head in acceptance and then turned and padded out of camp. Thistlepaw was among the cats who followed immediately, but Adderpaw stayed behind. He cast his amber gaze one last time over the dens and thickets he had called his home.

Then, as weary as if he had climbed a thousand peaks, the tom followed his leader.

- - - x - - -

Now the sun was rising and they were on their way. All of the Clans were together, and some of the initial mystery had decreased. The missing cats had returned, and the dying warrior had shown the way. Now there was nothing left but the tiring trek towards their new home, wherever that was.

Adderpaw found himself beside a gaggle of apprentices as they approached Twolegplace. He had taken it upon himself to carry one of Whitetail's kits in his mouth, and so was thankfully spared the responsibility of having to talk to the other apprentices.

He recognized Volepaw of RiverClan, who was earnestly talking to a dark grey ShadowClan cat and a black ThunderClan apprentice with a brown underbelly. A white ThunderClan apprentice trailed them, a golden she-kit clasped in her jaws.

The tabby fell back to pad alongside the white she-cat with the kit in her jaws, knowing that she was in no position to start up a conversation with him.

They padded in relative silence for awhile. Adderpaw swivelled his ears around, fading in and out of the other apprentices' conversation. He caught snippets of their talk, but none of it interested him.

"I remember the day I caught my first fish…" Volepaw was talking earnestly to the black and brown tom, who only appeared to be half-listening, his tail flicking back and forth.

"You're never supposed to eat the rats from the Carrionplace. Before Tigerstar became leader, there was a sickness in ShadowClan that stole all nine lives from our previous leader." The dark grey ShadowClan tom had been joined by Weaselpaw, who appeared to be listening intently.

As they padded through the golden fields outside of Twolegplace, Adderpaw kept his ears pricked. He had heard too many stories about cats that had been mauled by the dogs, and he didn't fancy running for his life, especially with a kit in his mouth.

The white apprentice beside him stumbled and Adderpaw froze, scanning the horizon for any signs of danger. When there appeared to be none, he padded closer to her and dropped the kit in his own mouth, Owlkit, to the ground.

"You okay?" he asked gruffly.

She nodded tiredly and stood back up. Adderpaw stood there awkwardly, not sure if she wanted his help or not. "I can take the kit, if you'd like," he offered, hoping he could manage with two.

"I can walk on my own," said the little golden kit indignantly. While she was skinny, Adderpaw judged her to be around four moons, and indeed capable of walking on her own.

"Shh, Larchkit, I know," said the white she-cat gently. "But it's a long journey and you will get very tired."

Then she looked up, her green eyes glowing with kindness. "Thanks, but I think I'm alright," she said, nosing her bundle gently. "When I eat, I'll be fine."

Not bothering to insist that they might not get a chance to eat for awhile unless she liked Twoleg rubbish, Adderpaw dipped his head in acceptance and began to move on, wanting to catch up to the other apprentices.

A group of warriors padded behind them. He recognized Webfoot, as well as a dark brown tabby with bright blue eyes called Hawkfrost. The tom was said to be Tigerstar's kin, and Adderpaw would bet a moon's worth of dawn patrols that he was just as traitorous as his father.

So the brown tabby urged the white apprentice forward, not wanting to get caught up in the group with Hawkfrost.

"I'm Whitepaw, by the way," she said through a mouthful of kit. Adderpaw urged her on with his tail, flicking her flank gently.

"Adderpaw," he replied curtly, though Owlkit was masking his words.

The cats in front of them stopped suddenly and Adderpaw dug his claws into the ground as he came grinding to a halt. Whitepaw shot him a confused glance, but the tom just shrugged. He didn't know what was happening either.

A message was being send back – ahead of him, he could see rows of cats turn around to pass it on, whispering softly.

"We're crossing a Thunderpath," said Volepaw to Adderpaw. The brown tom nodded before realizing that he was supposed to pass the message on.

"Thunderpath." The tom turned and delivered to message to Webfoot, nodding curtly.

The long chain of cats began to cross it slowly. Adderpaw found himself twitching with impatience, while Whitepaw had let Larchkit down so she could expend some of her pent-up energy.

Finally, when it was their turn to cross, they both picked up the kits again. Adderpaw tested the harsh black substance under his paws, nervously tightening his jaws on Owlkit's scruff.

At Brambleclaw's command, the light brown tabby darted across, Owlkit swinging perilously from his jaws.

Adderpaw skidded to a halt on the other side of the Thunderpath. That single heartbeat had seemed like a moon; a moon where he was flying with his paws outstretched. He breathed a sigh of relief, his heart still pounding with exhilaration.

A monster rushed past him, and he felt the wind created by it brush his fur. Adderpaw didn't flinch back, though. He didn't flinch at _anything._

Because then it was weakness.

Whitepaw crossed after the monster had gone. The thick stench of the Thunderpath had silenced Larchkit, who now dangled from the she-cats jaws like a limp, yet breathing, bundle.

"The Twolegplace is that way." Adderpaw looked up to see Firestar and Leopardstar at the head of the journeying cats. The muscular ginger tom was flicking towards the expanse of grey Twoleg nests with his tail.

Stormfur padded forward to join them, followed by a tortoiseshell she-cat that Adderpaw guessed was Tawnypelt. He had never met any of the journeying cats, except for Crowpaw, but their descriptions were well-known around the Clans.

"We have to go through the mountains instead. There are still more Thunderpaths before the Twolegplace, so unless you want to cross those as well, I suggest following Brambleclaw," mewed the she-cat.

Blackstar grunted his acknowledgement from beside her. Firestar nodded and the leaders at the head of the great column of cats turned and changed directions, heading for the mountains that rose in the distance.

- - - x - - -

Night was falling, and the mountains looked no closer than they had at sunhigh. Tallstar had called a stop, and the cats were beginning to find places to rest among the trees. The scent of mouse was strong, but Adderpaw was in no mood to hunt.

He settled down below a clump of ferns, and was quickly joined by Weaselpaw and Thistlepaw. Both toms looked exhausted, but Weaselpaw's eyes were glowing with excitement at the prospect of the journey.

Adderpaw yawned and began to groom himself. He had long since returned Owlkit to his mother, Whitetail, and now weariness was beginning to force his eyes to shut.

Beside him, he could feel Thistlepaw's heart rate slow as the short-furred tom fell into a deep sleep. Weaselpaw also appeared to be drifting off, but every few seconds one of his limbs would tingle with excitement.

Both of the apprentices were recently fed, but Adderpaw wasn't hungry. He would wake up before them, having always been an early rise, and find a shrew to eat.

He felt himself beginning to drift off into a peaceful sleep, and he just hoped that they would make it through the journey alright. Adderpaw was already beginning to feel displaced. Imagining the new territory, he pictured wide, rolling hills, with bright blue streams.

Instead, as he fell asleep, his dreams were of a thick forest with a reaching pile of rocks erupting from the middle.

- - - x - - -

**A/N:** I know, a quicker update, but I'm trying to get this boring part out of the way.

I know Owlpaw is an apprentice when they return, but he wasn't mentioned in the allegiances of _Dawn_, so he's a kit here. Sorry! Also, Adderpaw is an OC, but Thistlepaw was mentioned in the _Dawn_ allegiances but was not present in _Starlight_.

I don't like being a review hog, but at least twenty people have read this, and I recieved one review. I know I'm kind of guilty of 'reading and running' too, so yeah :(

So if you leave a review, maybe I'll look around at your fics and give you some feedback there :)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

When Shrewpaw woke up, the first thought that registered was that he was hungry. _StarClan, I could use a mouse_, he thought, licking his muzzle and yawning loudly. The movement startled Spiderpaw, who had been curled up beside him.

"Is it time to wake up already?" grumbled the black tom, blinking drowsily. He had slept awkwardly during the night, and now his fur was sticking out erratically. Shrewpaw couldn't manage to stifle his purr at his brother's ragged appearance.

Spiderpaw noticed the kinks in his fur and set about fixing them, rasping his tongue over his brown underbelly. Shrewpaw looked back outside of the clump of bracken they were using as a nest, his eyes drinking in the sight of the sunrise.

"Well, it's light out," mewed the small brown tom. "There are other cats out there too. There's a WindClan apprentice, coming in with a mouse, and hold on – I think I see Firestar over there. He's talking to Brambleclaw."

He felt a pang of hope when he realized that he couldn't see Squirrelpaw anywhere near the two toms. They had walked together for a little on the journey so far, but she had soon left to pad alongside the dark brown tabby tom who had served as her companion on the journey.

Spiderpaw yawned. "I'm hungry," he muttered. Shrewpaw rolled his eyes. His brother had caught more than the rest of them last night and had eagerly devoured it, stuffing his face until he was able to roll into his nest contently.

"Of course you are," said Shrewpaw with a twitch of his whiskers. The young apprentice pulled himself out of den, stretching and yawning as he did so. The day was just beginning, but it was already bright out, and the sudden influx of light woke him up almost as much as his hunger had.

The tom padded towards the closest tree, opening his mouth to scent. Detecting a faint scent of mouse, he pricked his ears and held still. Locating a mouse that was scuffling around in the bushes, Shrewpaw dropped into a crouch.

Catching the mouse with ease, Shrewpaw clasped it gently in his paws. He knew that he wasn't on a hunting patrol, but he was still more comfortable with giving the prey to the queens and elders first, instead of just keeping it to himself.

He padded over towards the den that Goldenflower, Ferncloud and Longtail shared. The brown tom felt the familiar pang of loss as he thought back to Frostfur, who had decided to stay back in the old territory with Speckletail, Loudbelly, and Shadepelt.

"Shrewpaw?" asked Longtail, lifting up his pale head as Shrewpaw entered the den.

"I brought you three a mouse," said Shrewpaw softly, pushing it over towards them with a slim forepaw. The mouse was rather scrawny, and the tom suddenly felt embarrassed about only bringing one. "I can go get more though, if you'd like."

Goldenflower shook her yellow head, her muzzle tinged grey with age. "Don't worry about it Shrewpaw," she mewed. "You should eat. You need to keep your strength up, after all. You're still such a young cat."

Fur prickling with embarrassment, Shrewpaw nodded and turned to leave. As he was padding out of the den, however, he collided with a bundle of dark ginger fur that let out an indignant mewl at the sudden contact.

"Squirrelpaw!" he gasped as he recognized the ginger ThunderClan apprentice.

She was soaking wet, as if she'd taken an accidental swim. Narrowing her green eyes, the she-cat gave him a dark glare, as if challenging him to make a remark about her sodden state. But Squirrelpaw couldn't keep angry with her denmate for too long, and she soon brought out into a warm purr that sent a tingle through Shrewpaw's body.

"How did you sleep?" she asked happily, her green eyes glowing with warmth. Shrewpaw found himself breathing in her warm scent, wishing he could bury his muzzle in it forever.

"I slept well," replied the brown tom slowly. Shrewpaw had the notion that if he could slow down every sentence and pause to think more than he needed, he would be able to keep the she-cat there for longer. "What about you?"

"It was good," she purred, resting her tail on his flank. Shrewpaw wondered vaguely if she knew how much the gesture meant to him. "I was with Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt. Who did you den with?"

Again with Brambleclaw. The brown tom winced inwardly, careful not to show Squirrelpaw that he was upset. If she was happy, then he was happy too.

"Oh, err, I was just with Spiderpaw," he replied awkwardly with a nonchalant flick of his tail. Maybe when they got to the new territories, Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw would separate and just become apprentice and warrior again.

Though Squirrelpaw did seem close to receiving her warrior name. Shrewpaw was first of course, but that wasn't any consolation when he thought of her and the dark brown tabby curled up together in the thick moss.

"So…" the she-cat said, trailing off slowly.

_She'll do all her hunting with him, and then one day she'll move to the nursery and bear his kits._ Shrewpaw found himself cursing the Twolegs – if they had never wanted to rip up the forest, Squirrelpaw and Brambleclaw would never have gone on that journey together.

He blinked when he realized that Squirrelpaw was waiting for him to say something else. Shrewpaw swallowed nervously. "Want to come hunting with me, then? I haven't had anything to eat yet this morning."

Sorrow flashed in Squirrelpaw's bright green eyes, but there was no trace of regret. "Sorry, Shrewpaw," she murmured, averting her gaze. "Firestar sent me to check up on these three, and then I'm going with hunting Brambleclaw. Maybe some other time…?"

He nodded numbly and nosed her cheek gently. "Yeah, maybe some other time," he said, trying to fake cheerfulness and doubting that it had worked.

As Shrewpaw padded away, he was aware that Squirrelpaw had padded into the den without even a second glance for him, and that hurt more than anything she could ever do with Brambleclaw.

- - - x - - -

It was nearing sunhigh by the time they approached the base of the mountains. The day was warm and without wind, and the shadow of the mountains was non-existent on this side of them. Shrewpaw's pads were damp with sweat by the time Firestar finally called a halt.

Larchkit, who had been walking with him, was visibly tired. Shrewpaw nosed his sister gently, knowing that once they started the long trek through the mountains, he was going to have to carry her. The tom's own legs ached, but he wouldn't hesitate to put aside that pain to help the golden brown kit.

"Take the time to hunt while you can," instructed Firestar. "When we start to climb the mountains, there's no telling if we'll be able to find prey or not."

Shrewpaw found himself oddly irritated by his leader's authoritative tone. He pushed it aside, getting to his paws to hunt. He wasn't hungry, but he was sure that Larchkit was, and he wanted to hunt for her.

In the far distance, he could see the larger Twoleg nests from Twolegplace. It was far away, but the sight of so many Twolegs in one place was still enough to send a current of fear through his veins, especially after what had happened out on the Thunderpath with Thornclaw.

"Stay here," he instructed Larchkit. The young kit obeyed him, and Shrewpaw padded away to a clump of trees that were growing together at the base of some rocks.

He dropped into a hunting crouch and easily managed to catch a vole for his sister. It was small, but Larchkit didn't really need that much to keep her going, especially since she was going to be carried the whole way.

When he came back, he saw Larchkit talking to a lithe brown tabby that smelled of WindClan. Shrewpaw dropped the vole by the base of his sister's tail and padded over the cat, narrowing his amber eyes.

"What do you want with Larchkit?" he asked, puffing out his chest and doing his best to appear warrior-like. Out of the corner of his eye, Shrewpaw saw that Larchkit was watching him wide-eyed, not used to seeing her brother act so assertive.

"I met her yesterday and now she asked me how I was doing," said the other tom, his upper lip curling. He turned away and spat on the ground. "You don't need to be a bossy furball about it."

The light brown tabby padded away, his head held high and his chin tilted. Turning back to Larchkit, Shrewpaw let his fur lie flat. "Sorry," he mumbled.

A loud yowl from Firestar had them all looking towards him. The flame-coloured tom leapt up onto a large boulder and raised himself up to his full height, surveying the Clan cats with bright green eyes that reminded Shrewpaw of Squirrelpaw.

"Let's go." Two short words were enough to send thrills of exhilaration and fear down Shrewpaw's spine.

He picked up Larchkit and the two headed off into the mountains.

- - - x - - -

By the time they reached what Brambleclaw had described as the half-way point to the Tribe's cavern, Shrewpaw's legs ached. His paws were ripped and bleeding, and he knew that Larchkit could feel his pain.

The sky was beginning to darken, but the cats around him weren't stopping. Shrewpaw took step after step, hauling himself up through the rocks. He was aware of Larchkit dangling in his grasp and he was so scared of accidentally letting her go.

A few patches of stunted bracken scratched his legs, but Shrewpaw ignored them as he pulled himself up onto the next ledge. From there, he could see Firestar in the distance. The ledge that the ginger tom was on, which extended far around the mountain side, was approximately a fox-length below Shrewpaw's.

He came to the edge of his ledge and hesitated before gently springing down, his muscles complaining the whole way. He felt Larchkit swing back and forth and he hastened to tighten his grasp on her scruff.

As he landed, the cats around him began to stop. Firestar or Brambleclaw had evidently decided that this ledge was perfect for taking a breather, and though Shrewpaw couldn't scent any prey, he agreed with them.

As he sat down, Larchkit wriggled out of his jaws, freeing her scruff with ease.

"Be careful," warned Shrewpaw, stretching out his small body on the grey rock. The tom's amber eyes scanned the area, looking for any sign of Squirrelpaw, but his dark ginger friend was nowhere to be found, which probably meant she was with Brambleclaw.

_Or Tawnypelt,_ he reminded himself. _They became friends as well._

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Larchkit padding away from him unsteadily, her claws scratching against the rock. As Shrewpaw turned, he watched her with clouded eyes, not really understanding what he was seeing.

When she got closer to the ledge, he sat up, amber eyes wide with fear. "Hey, Larchkit, come back," mewed the tom anxiously.

Larchkit didn't seem to hear him. A white apprentice with grey ears got up from nearby, his eyes determined. "I'll get here, don't worry," he mewed, striding past Shrewpaw.

Now Larchkit was looking over the edge, her back legs scrabbling against the cliff as she tried to keep a firm hold on it. But as the apprentice, who Shrewpaw now recognized as Thistlepaw, padded over to her, those hind legs gave away.

Larchkit tumbled over the cliff, but Thistlepaw caught her scruff in his jaws. "Hold still," he mumbled through a mouthful of fur.

Shrewpaw padded over hesitantly. He peered over the edge, and fear gripped his heart when he saw that Larchkit was swinging back and forth in Thistlepaw's grip, obviously terrified.

"Stop moving," Shrewpaw instructed her, but the golden she-cat didn't listen.

With one mighty swing as she wriggled around, Larchkit managed to unbalance Thistlepaw. His hind legs slipped forward, and unable to get a grip with his paws, the white tom found himself pitching forward. Shrewpaw watched, frozen, as both cats slipped over the edge. He felt as though his paws were rooted to the ground, and though he wanted to lunge forward, he just couldn't. He_ couldn't._

Larchkit's body was hidden below Thistlepaw's as they fell, but Shrewpaw could imagine her vulnerable body hitting the rocks far below. It only took a second for the falling cats to fade into the darkness of the chasm.

"Larchkit," said the brown tom, his voice cracking as he forced out the words. His sister was gone. Gone.

Then suddenly it hit him, like the rush of air from the Twoleg monster. Larchkit was _gone_.

"Larchkit!" he wailed, hoping that StarClan could hear him and would somehow bring her back. "Larchkit!"

- - - x - - -

**A/N:** Thank you, everyone who reviewed. It's really appreciated :)

So, as prize (whoop whoop) you all get virtual Adderpaw plushies! :D -tosses plushies into crowd-

Anyways, Larchkit and Thistlekit are gone... who's next? Well, let me know who you think's going to "die" next (the chapter's already been written, so I'm not changing anything, but I'm interested to hear). So a couple more chapters of cats "dying" and then we can really get started :)

So leave a review if you read it, and I hope you enjoyed. I'll try to update in a couple of days at the most :)

_- Shocky_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Larchkit!"

Generally, Adderpaw wouldn't have paid any attention to a cry such as this. But the light brown tabby remembered Larchkit from the day before, and the desperation in the yowl forced him wearily to his paws. What had happened? Was everything alright?

He padded over to where the wailing cat sat, amber eyes stretched wide as he gazed over the edge. Adderpaw recognized the tom as the one who had snapped at him for talking to Larchkit. He hesitated for a moment before going to join him.

"What happened?" he asked bluntly. Other cats were beginning to join them now, and Adderpaw recognized Whitepaw. She was followed by a ginger and white RiverClan apprentice as well as two older ThunderClan she-cats.

"Shrewpaw!" Whitepaw rushed over the dusky brown tom. He didn't move; he didn't even flick an ear in response. The small cat looked frozen as he stared out unseeingly over the edge.

The RiverClan apprentice hung back unsurely, but the two ThunderClan she-cats rushed forward to stand beside Shrewpaw. The first was a pale grey she-cat, her fur mottled with darker flecks. The second was a small she-cat, with dusky brown fur. Both of them pressed their fur against the ThunderClan apprentice's.

"What happened?" asked the speckled grey she-cat, covering Shrewpaw's ear in reassuring licks. Adderpaw couldn't help but noticed the worried look in her green eyes as she rubbed herself against the young apprentice. _Were they related_?

"Larchkit…" mumbled Shrewpaw.

Feeling uncomfortable, Adderpaw turned to take his leave. As he was padding away, he heard Shrewpaw add on to his explanation, and the next name he gave made Adderpaw's blood run cold. "And… Thistlepaw…"

He whipped around and padded back over to Shrewpaw, not sure whether he should be angry or upset. "Did you say Thistlepaw?" he hissed. When Shrewpaw nodded weakly, the light WindClan tabby continued. "What happened to him?"

Shrewpaw looked up at the tom, his amber eyes wide with sorrow. "Thistlepaw tried to save Larchkit…" he mewed morosefully. The mottled she-cat beside him shot Adderpaw a dark glance, as if telling him to leave Shrewpaw alone.

Adderpaw was growing impatient. "Thistlepaw tried to save Larchkit from what?" he asked rudely, scuffing his paws against the rock surface. Shrewpaw better give him an answer soon, or… the tom couldn't bring himself to be mean to the tom. He looked so lost and forlorn.

Shrewpaw raised his eyes to meet Adderpaw's gaze, and Adderpaw saw that they were covered in a regretful mist. "From falling over the edge of the cliff…" he whispered softly.

Upon hearing those words, the light brown apprentice immediately shifted his gaze towards the edge of the cliff. He took a few steps forward, but the grey queen placed her tail on his flank, and he held his position.

"Don't get too close," she murmured softly, her green eyes full of concern. "It's dangerous."

"I know that," spat Adderpaw, but his harsh remark was half-hearted as he looked out to where Thistlepaw had supposedly fallen. "My friend just fell off this cliff, so excuse me if I'm not exactly trying to be safe."

"Don't talk to my mate like that," grumbled a dark brown tabby tom that had come up to stand beside the grey she-cat. He was far larger than both Adderpaw and the queen, and so the WindClan apprentice retreated warily.

He padded back until he was at the center of a group of WindClan cats, who were murmuring silently about what had just happened. Adderpaw kept expecting the pang of loss to hit, but nothing came. Had it not registered yet?

Thistlepaw was _gone._

His gaze fixed on the grey ground, Adderpaw didn't look up as he felt the cats around him move out of the way. He scooted back as an elderly black and white warrior passed him, training his eyes on the tom's feet as he moved.

"What happened?" asked Tallstar, coming to a halt in front of the four ThunderClan cats by the cliff. From his angled gaze, Adderpaw could see Shrewpaw's back as well as the tail of the speckled grey queen who had warned him of the danger.

"Thistlepaw and Larchkit fell off the cliff," explained the grey queen. Though her voice sounded strained, she seemed to be keeping her composure quite well.

Adderpaw stopped listening, though he could still here the slow and sorrow-laden mews coming from the others. Everything felt so unreal, like he was dreaming and would wake up at any moment.

A sudden warmth against his flank made him look up. Weaselpaw was there, his eyes wide with fright. He looked like he was going to ask what was happening, so Adderpaw just flicked his tail to where Tallstar was talking. Weaselpaw got the message and turned away.

The light brown tabby sighed and angled his ears back towards his leader. The black and white tom was mewing something about carrying on and being strong and never forgetting the two cats who had perished today.

How could he ever forget?

- - - x - - -

The pebble clattered along the edge of the gorge before eventually tumbling in, making a large clattering noise as it went. He watched it vanish over the ledge with lazy yellow eyes, keeping them trained on the darkness long after the pebble had vanished.

That was had Thistlepaw had looked like. There one second, and gone the next. The light brown tabby flicked another, moving his claw towards it slowly, as if he was pulling it through water. His whole body was moving sluggishly, as if he just couldn't quite get himself into gear.

"Adderpaw, we're moving again."

It was Whitetail. He wearily got to his paws, casting one last look at the gorge. Then, recklessly, he barrelled past the white she-cat and nearly tripped over a chunk of rock reaching up from the ground.

Cursing StarClan under his breath, Adderpaw caught his balance and kept on walking. He felt Whitetail sidle up beside her, her whole body tense.

"Are you alright?" she asked quietly, and though her voice was usually soothing, it only managed to infuriate the light brown tabby. He lashed his tail angrily and moved away, ignoring Whitetail's attempts to catch up with him and talk.

_Do I look alright?_

The white she-cat was still looking at him with that concerned look in her eyes, and it made him want to dig his claws into the fur and just hold himself there until all the anger had evaporated.

He was supposed to be sad. He was supposed to upset and inconsolable. He was supposed to be lost and confused, like Shrewpaw had been. But instead he was _fine_.

Adderpaw was acting like he was never better, and he didn't understand why.

_What's wrong with me?_

He caught up with a gaggle of RiverClan apprentices. Even after the tragedy that had just occurred, they were still laughing and chatting as though nothing had happened. It made the tabby's fur prickle with anger, and he lashed his tail in frustration.

All except for one. She was padding along with her head held high above the rest of them, green eyes firmly set straight ahead. Adderpaw watched her for a moment, strangely glad to find another cat who was as weary as he was.

He padded over to her, knocking Volepaw out of his way as he did so. He vaguely recognized the she-cat from earlier, when he and Whitepaw had been walking together and carrying the kits. Still, he didn't know her name, and he wasn't that interested in finding out.

The tom just figured that if he walked with someone, Whitetail wouldn't bother him anymore.

They padded on in silence until the procession of cats stopped. The ginger and white apprentice beside him also halted. She looked quite alert; more so than Volepaw and Heavypaw who were still talking quietly.

"We're coming up to a narrow pass." Blackstar was standing beside Leopardstar and was addressing the Clans loudly but bluntly. The tom's eyes were narrowed, challenging any one to speak against him. "We have to go slowly, and one at a time."

_Slowly._

The word registered in his mind, but it left its meaning behind. There was no slowly anymore. Just a pace that you went without Thistlepaw. It was like his body was operating by itself while his mind wandered.

He watched as the cats in front of him filtered into a thin line and began to cross the pass one at a time, careful not to slip off the edge and into the darkness below. Obviously Thistlepaw's death had affected some cats, and they looked visibly shaken as they crossed.

If he craned his neck just right, the tabby could see Weaselpaw crossing. The ginger tom was padding carefully in front of a ThunderClan warrior, Sootfur, who was using his tail to steady himself. Weaselpaw crossed without harm, and Adderpaw could see his brother gasping for air on the other side.

Sootfur and Weaselpaw were followed by cats that Adderpaw recognized as Whitepaw and a cat from ShadowClan, Tallpoppy. She was carrying a kit in her mouth, and Whitepaw was trying to steady her. Both cats looked scared out of their minds.

They managed to cross in the end, and the procedure was repeated over and over again, except with different cats. There was always the fear of falling; of leaving and never coming back. The fear wasn't just present in the cats who crossed, but also in the cats who were waiting on the other side, their eyes stretched wide with anxiety.

He was starting to get impatient by the time it was Volepaw and Heavypaw's turn. Heavypaw looked as though he was about to fall, but Volepaw steadied him gently and the two toms moved on.

Finally, it was Adderpaw's turn. The ginger and white RiverClan she-cat moved ahead of him, weaving in front effortlessly. He followed her, not bothering to stay light on his feet.

The tom could feel his body shake with every step and he knew he was close to falling off the side of the narrow strip of cliff, but he didn't care. He upped the pace, pushing his shoulder against the she-cat's flank. She cried out in surprise, and Adderpaw felt himself start to lose his balance.

"Hurry up," he snarled, butting her once again.

She mewed sharply in alarm, and Adderpaw could hear cats on the far side exclaim in worry.

"Adderpaw!" That was Mudclaw's voice. "What are you doing? Go slow. Take your time or both of you will fall off."

_If StarClan wants me, let them have me._

He paid no attention to what Mudclaw was saying. With reckless abandon, Adderpaw kept walking, faster this time. But it was too fast, and he knew it. He felt both of them slide to the side as he pushed his weight against hers, her slim frame teetering uncontrollably.

Then the she-cat was yelling and he was losing rock under his paws and he was pitching to the side and then he was falling, and she was falling with him.

_Was this what Thistlepaw felt before he died? The endless fall?_

Adderpaw wondered how long it was. Would he continue to feel it, or would it suddenly come to an abrupt end? How long had they been falling for anyways? It seemed like a moon, but it might only have been a few heartbeats.

Then suddenly there was a sharp pain in his side and something solid under his body.

"Ah!" he gasped, gritting his teeth to stop any further exclamations. Beside him, he heard the she-cat hit the ground with a sickening crack.

Far above him was the narrow ledge were the other cats had been walking. He could see a few of them, peering over the side, but could they see him?

Apparently not.

They were padding away and leaving him behind.

_StarClan, why didn't you take me?_

Then everything went black.

- - - x - - -

**A/N: **Thanks to **Spinosa**, **Icethroat21**, and **Chene** for reviewing. Also, thanks everyone who added this story to their favourites or alerts :) Leave a review sometime and tell me what you like. If you don't like anything? Tell me what you dislike! Anyways, for those who reviewed, you all get Adderpaw plushies - oh wait, did I already give those away? /checks last chapter.

Yup, I did. So you guys actually all get Splashpaw plushies! :D I know we haven't seen much of her yet, but she'll be one of the seven...

I was surprised by all the people (well, two xD) who thought that Larchkit was dead! Well, we'll have to see, but if Adderpaw survived the fall... :D

Anyways, next chapter we get to see Shrewpaw beating himself up over it.

I write faster with reviews ;) (nevermind the fact that it's already written :P)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Ever since Adderpaw and Splashpaw had disappeared over the edge of the gorge and down into the darkness below, Shrewpaw hadn't been able to stop blaming himself. The scene played over and over in his head. Adderpaw, angry at Thistlepaw's loss, and pushed both him and Splashpaw into what was surely certain death.

Splashpaw had been innocent. She had had two brothers, Volepaw and Heavypaw, and a mentor, Swallowtail. She hadn't deserved a death like that. No, she had deserved a life in the new territory with her family and she deserved to one day receive her warrior name.

Dustpelt had urged Ferncloud to console the small brown tom, but Shrewpaw knew that it was really his duty to console Ferncloud. His mother was beyond herself with sadness. She had saved Larchkit from the famine only to lose her on a journey that was supposed to _save_ them.

It wasn't fair, and Shrewpaw agreed.

They had climbed even higher in the mountains, pushing thoughts of Adderpaw and Splashpaw away with each pawstep. He had heard Volepaw and Heavypaw saying that she might have survived her fall, but he didn't let any glimmer of hope spark in his stomach.

Splashpaw was gone, Adderpaw was gone, Thistlepaw was gone, and Larchkit was _gone_.

They had lost four cats in only two days – for it had been another sunrise since Larchkit had fallen over the edge and taken Thistlepaw with her. That was what made the guilt eat away at Shrewpaw. If he had kept a better eye on his sister, none of this would have happened.

"Are you okay?" Squirrelpaw was standing there, her tail resting on his flank.

The brown tom looked up and rippled his pelt, trying to shake away the memories like fine grains of dust. Squirrelpaw had taken to hanging around him and trying to console him, but even her presence couldn't help Shrewpaw now.

"I should have just been hit by the Twoleg monster," grumbled Shrewpaw under his breath. An image of Thornclaw, his eyes wide with shock, flashed through the tom's mind and made him lower his head in shame.

"Don't say that!" Squirrelpaw stopped her walk and turned to face him, her back claws skidding against the stone and sending a pebble cascading away and over the edge. Her green eyes burned with anger. "Don't you say that, Shrewpaw!"

He kept his gaze firmly fixed on the ground. "I should have."

"Then what would I do?" asked Squirrelpaw, causing Shrewpaw to look up and meet her green eyes with his amber ones. So she did care about him after all.

"I don't know…" he murmured, not wanting to upset her by saying that she could always go off with Brambleclaw. It was obvious that the tabby was padding after her. But if he said that now, he might lose her forever.

In fact, the dark brown tabby was padding a few foxlengths away, on the other side of some ShadowClan warriors. Shrewpaw knew that the broad-shouldered warrior was just there to keep an eye on Squirrelpaw

"I don't want to lose you," pleaded the ginger she-cat. "Shrewpaw, what happened with Larchkit… that wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself."

He looked into her eyes. They shone with strength and conviction. So Squirrelpaw really did believe what she was saying, then. She really thought that it wasn't his fault.

It was, though.

"But it's true!" he retorted stubbornly. "They died because of me! All of them!"

Squirrelpaw sighed and bowed her head. "If they died, then it's because StarClan destined it for them. You can't blame yourself."

_StarClan destined it for them._

But StarClan was supposed to help them! When he had narrowly avoided the Twoleg monster, Shrewpaw had had nothing but faith in StarClan. But why should he believe in them and trust them when they had stolen away his sister?

_Both of your sisters. Hollykit and Larchkit._

"They're hunting with StarClan now," said Squirrelpaw reassuringly, padding back so she could walk beside him and pressing her muzzle into the thick fur on his shoulder.

"Hunting?" Shrewpaw scoffed. "They're just _kits_, Squirrelpaw. They don't know how to hunt! They were so small and fragile and it was my responsibility to take care of them! I was their brother!"

Surprise flickered through her eyes, and Shrewpaw realized that she had been talking about the four cats that had died on the journey rather than his two siblings. The dusky brown tom sighed and picked up the pace.

Squirrelpaw followed, her eyes flashing with anger. "What happened to the Shrewpaw I used to know, huh? Where did he go? Where's the cat I used to consider my best friend?"

Anger was beginning to bubble up within him, pushing away the sorrow that had been languidly drifting inside of his body.

"He left when you did!" snarled Shrewpaw. He wasn't used to the amount of anger that was raging within him, and it frightened him.

Hurt shone in the ginger she-cats eyes, but she blinked it away, and when she next faced him, her eyes were cold. "I know StarClan didn't choose me to go on the journey, but I went anyway. You can't expect me to stay with you forever."

The anger was seething within him. The brown tom could no longer hold back from expressing what he had wanted to say all this time, even if it meant losing her forever. She had to know how he felt.

Shrewpaw gestured his head towards Brambleclaw. "I know. Now you're with him."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Squirrelpaw angrily. Without giving Shrewpaw a chance to respond, she stalked off in a huff. Brambleclaw met up with her and Shrewpaw watched as the tom twined his tail with hers.

The anger within him dropped back to shame and sorrow. He had just lost his best friend, one of the only cats who would ever be able to console him.

He hated being angry. He hated the anger that built up within him.

He hated himself.

- - - x - - -

The sun was hot. It burned down on his back, sending waves of heat down his spine. His thick fur, which was such a blessing in leafbare, was always a pain when the day became warm and the sun came out, shining strongly.

He was walking beside a ShadowClan queen and a WindClan elder. The queen, Tallpoppy, was struggling to keep two kits clutched in her mouth. Applekit was lying still, but Toadkit was squirming and mewling for milk.

Oatwhisker, the WindClan elder, was holding Mosskit, a pretty tortoiseshell she-kit. She kept silent, gazing at everything with bright amber eyes. It was obvious that she felt no fear, and only a awed sense of excitement.

Shrewpaw himself held a black kit in his mouth. As opposed to his sister Mosskit, Marshkit looked very scared. He kept shooting anxious glances at Tallpoppy, as if the tortoiseshell queen could somehow make them all suddenly appear in the new territory and skip the whole journey through the mountains.

A dark brown tom padded up beside Tallpoppy. For a moment, Shrewpaw wondered if it was Brambleclaw. But his worry was quickly pushed aside when the tom swung his broad head around the reveal bright blue eyes.

"Can I take a kit, Tallpoppy?" purred Hawkfrost.

Shrewpaw shivered. He didn't trust the tom, and he would bet a moon's worth of dawn patrols that the brown tabby was up to something. He had never met Hawkfrost's father, Tigerstar, but he had heard the stories.

Tallpoppy, however, had only seen the best of Tigerstar when he had been leader of her Clan. So she probably felt no qualms about Hawkfrost being accepted into the Clans. After all, the tom was a strong warrior.

She nodded and let Hawkfrost take Toadkit, who was being a bit of a pain. Toadkit struggled at first, but when Tallpoppy wasn't looking, Hawkfrost tightened his grip on the black kit's scruff.

Shuddering, Shrewpaw turned away.

They walked for what seemed like forever, the sun rising even higher in the sky. His talk with Squirrelpaw at dawn seemed a hundred moons ago now. All Shrewpaw could think about was how nice it would be to arrive at the new territory.

A rasping noise began to develop behind him. Shrewpaw ignored it and concentrated on Marshkit, but he couldn't ignore it any longer as the sound developed into a full-fledged wheezing.

"Oatwhisker, are you alright?" he exclaimed, gently placing Marshkit down on the ground. Tallpoppy looked as though she wanted to come and help him, but Hawkfrost instructed her to keep moving, a gleam in his blue eyes.

"I'm fine…" gasped the creamy brown tom. He sat down slowly, as if he was scared that he might break a bone with any sudden movements.

"Are you sure?" asked Shrewpaw, sitting down beside him. The brown tom used his tail to urge Marshkit closer to him, where he could keep an eye on the black tom.

Marshkit watched them with wide eyes. The black tom was clearly intelligent, and was nearing apprentice age, but he held his tongue in the presence of an elder.

"I told you, I'm fine…" he said wearily, nudging Mosskit towards Shrewpaw. "Take Mosskit and Marshkit, will you? They can walk until you catch up to someone who can carry them. Just leave me here and I'll catch up soon…"

Shrewpaw realized what was happening, and he burned with an inner fire. "I'm not leaving you, Oatwhisker," he said firmly. "Too many cats have died because of me. You're going to make this journey."

The creamy brown tabby shook his head slowly. "Shrewpaw, you need to go on without me. StarClan hasn't destined me to make it to the new territory."

Again about StarClan.

"We make our own destinies," pleaded Shrewpaw, his amber eyes stretched wide. "Please, Oatwhisker."

The tom hesitated for a long moment before getting up. Shrewpaw's eyes glowed. Oatwhisker was going to make it! But his hope soon faded as Oatwhisker and turned and padded towards the edge of the gorge, and Shrewpaw understood.

He was going to force Shrewpaw to carry on without him.

"No!" yowled Shrewpaw, leaping after Oatwhisker. He managed to dig his claws into the tom's flanks just as the elder was about to plunge over the edge. Still, the older cat was heavy, and Shrewpaw felt his back paws skidding on the ground.

Just as they both were about to fall over, he felt the pull on his weight lessen, and the tom looked down. Mosskit and Marshkit had dug their teeth into Oatwhisker's left and right legs respectively, and the two kits were helping Shrewkit pull Oatwhisker back over.

But just as they were about to save the tom, the ground underneath Shrewpaw's feet began to crumble. There was too much weight on this section of the cliff, which seemed to be already weakened.

"Marshkit, Mosskit, let go and get out of here!" yowled Shrewpaw desperately as he felt himself being dragged over the edge. Oatwhisker was silent, already having accepted his fate. He knew he was meant to die.

Mosskit tried to scrabble away, but Marshkit didn't let go. Shrewpaw met the tom's eyes and was startled by the bravery and intelligence he saw in there. The kit would have made a good warrior.

_I tried to save Oatwhisker, but now we're all going over. It's my fault. Everything that has happened is my fault._

He felt the ground finally give way and then he was tumbling. He let go of Oatwhisker, not wanting to crush the cat. Mosskit and Marshkit fell with him, wailing in terror. As the cliff wall zoomed by, Shrewpaw shut his eyes, bracing himself for the inevitable impact.

_StarClan help me._

His shoulder felt it first and Shrewpaw felt a pain as though every limb in his body was breaking. But before he could cry out, his body crumbled underneath him, and blackness enveloped his vision.

- - - x - - -

**A/N:** I'm always worried about making the kits sound too old or too young. But on a brighter note, this will be the last chapter where cats fall off the edge :D I have all seven now. I know Marshkit technically survives and dies before becoming a warrior but shh. I want him for my story! /hugs Marshkit.

Anyways, thank you to **Icethroat21**, **KawaiiBoushi**, **Chene**, and **TwillaChan** for reviewing. They were great reviews and they pointed out a couple of things I needed to fix, which was great. You guys are so helpful when you review! (so leave another one :P)

All four of you (four! :D) get Marshkit plushies. /throws them into the crowd rather reluctantly.

Anyways, I have two final pairings stemming up between the seven cats who fell off the edge (and they're probably not what you think they are). So here's the mini-contest: guess two pairings, and if one or both of them are right, you get a special plushie (winner also gets to create a tribe cat for the story). The thing is you have to guess two, and I'm not going to tell you which of the two is right or if both are right ;D happy guessing.

So review or something :) I'll have another update tomorrow or the day after.

_- Shocky_

_Seven who fell off the edge? What about Oatwhisker?_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

_Ferncloud._

_His mother. He needed to find her._

_He needed to find Ferncloud._

When Shrewpaw opened his eyes, it was dark. He blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the sudden lack of light. The sun had gone down, and he was surrounded by the rising cliff walls that seemed to extend into the sky. They cast long shadows, and the tom shivered. Wherever they were, it didn't feel like a good place.

He could hear the steady trickling of water. Shrewpaw angled his ears, trying to pinpoint it. Suddenly extremely thirsty, the tom tried to struggle to his paws. He needed to find the water, or else he wasn't going to survive.

But his body wouldn't let him get up. His shoulder felt as though it had been torn apart by foxes, and his whole body ached. Shrewpaw groaned before settling back down in defeat, resting his head on his slim brown forepaws.

The tom's amber eyes fell on a lump lying near by. At first he thought it was a rock, but then he noticed that its surface was rising and falling. As his eyes adjusted, he noticed that it was a creamy colour, and with a start Shrewpaw realized that it wasn't a rock at all.

"Oatwhisker!" he rasped weakly. So the old tabby had survived the fall. But from the weakening rising of his chest, Shrewpaw didn't know for how much longer.

He slowly became conscious of two lumps lying on him. Shrewpaw twisted his neck to see a dark shape on his back and a slighter dappled one lying between his shoulders. "Mosskit…?" he said quietly. His voice was coming back, but it was still incredibly weak. He nosed the she-kit before looking at the other kit with worried amber eyes. "Marshkit?"

They were lucky that they had landed on him instead of the other way around. Still, they were almost his size, so Shrewpaw was just lucky that they weren't his weight. In fact, they looked just a little older than Larchkit. But both ShadowClan cats were skinny, as if Tallpoppy hadn't been producing enough milk.

Shrewpaw's thoughts drifted back to the scrabble on the cliff edge. Marshkit had been so brave, and even though Mosskit had tried to scrabble away, she had the same large heart as her brother. Shrewpaw nosed Mosskit again, hope rushing through him as she began to stir.

"Shrewpaw?" she asked quietly, pressing her muzzle into his shoulder for warmth and comfort. "Did we survive, or are we in StarClan?"

"We survived," replied Marshkit, who was struggling to sit up. The tom looked tired, but his golden eyes shone with strength, and again Shrewpaw was startled by the potential for a brilliant warrior. If he had stayed with ShadowClan, he might have one day become deputy or even leader.

Shrewpaw struggled to sit up again, and Marshkit and Mosskit leapt off of him gingerly. The brown tom heard Mosskit mew in pain when she landed on the hard ground, but the little tortoiseshell tried her best to hide it.

Oatwhisker's chest was still rising and falling, and Shrewpaw wondered if the creamy tom would ever wake up. He hoped so – he was lost and needed guidance.

"Shrewpaw?" The brown apprentice turned to see Marshkit standing behind him, his yellow eyes wide. "What do we do now?"

_I don't know! How could I possible know?_

He wanted to scream, but he held himself back, looking down at the dark ground. "I, err, I think we should…"

The water. Right.

"Can you hear the water?" finished Shrewpaw lamely. "We need to go get a drink before we do anything else. It sounds close by. Let's try to find it, but only if the way towards it isn't dangerous… or something."

"Like if we have to squeeze through a narrow space or jump down to a lower cliff, we shouldn't do it?" suggested Marshkit reasonably.

Shrewpaw sighed. Marshkit was exactly right. The brown tom was just so worn out and tired that he couldn't think straight. "Exactly."

He didn't want Marshkit to look up to him as a leader. That was the complete opposite of what he was. He was just a young apprentice who was too blame for everything that had gone wrong; a tom who couldn't even hold on to his best friend.

Did Squirrelpaw think he was dead? Was she upset now? Was Brambleclaw comforting her, sweeping his tail over her flank?

Marshkit padded off in the direction of the sound. Shrewpaw hesitated a moment before following behind him. Luckily, they didn't have to creep through a narrow space or fall down another set of cliffs.

"StarClan," cursed Shrewpaw under his breath as he stepped from the rock into a small pool of frigid water. Well, at least they had found it. Trying not to fall into the dark water, he crouched down and began to lap it up.

Mosskit and Marshkit followed the suit. The water was so cold that it hurt, but it felt good deep inside, and Shrewpaw knew that they were lucky to have found it.

"Maybe we should bring some to Oatwhisker," suggested Marshkit hesitantly. "I mean, if he's too weak to come here and drink. He might slip and fall and drown."

Mosskit gave the elderly tom a doubtful glance. "Is he going to survive? What do we do if he can't move?"

Truthfully, Shrewpaw didn't think that the creamy brown tom had a fighting chance. But he didn't want to tell the kits that in case it frightened them. Marshkit looked like he could handle it, but Mosskit was a different story.

"If you can find any moss to transport water in, then we can bring some to him," said Shrewpaw slowly, glancing around. He didn't see any moss, but maybe Marshkit could do a better job of finding some. "But if not, we just have to hope that he gets better."

Oatwhisker hadn't woken up yet. Shrewpaw was sure that that was a sign that he wasn't going to get better. Marshkit seemed to understand this without Shrewpaw telling him, but like the brown apprentice, he didn't want to frighten his sister.

"I'll go look for some moss," offered the small black tom. "Mosskit, you stay with Shrewpaw and Oatwhisker, alright?"

Mosskit nodded and pressed against Shrewpaw. The dusky brown tom nosed her gently but nervously. What would they do now? They would have to find their way out of the mountains, but after that? What if they couldn't find out where the Clans were living?

Even if they found their way back to their Clans, was there anything for them? For Mosskit and Marshkit, there was a bright future. But for Shrewpaw? What did he have to look forward to?

Every day would be another day where Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw were together. Spiderpaw and Whitepaw would eventually find mates, and Birchkit would grow up. They would welcome Shrewpaw back into the Clan, but he would always be seen as different.

_Don't think like that. There's a she-cat for you somewhere. Besides, you have family. Friends._

A pebble skidding by made Shrewpaw look up anxiously, his neck fur fluffed and his ears pinned back. But it was only Marshkit. The small black tom was padding back towards them, his head bowed. "I couldn't find any moss," he explained sadly.

"Don't worry about it," said Shrewpaw gently. He wasn't used to acting as a mentor to others, and it unnerved him.

"What if Oatwhisker dies because of it?" asked Marshkit worriedly. His voice was soft and he cast Mosskit a worried glance as he spoke. "Will it be my fault for not being able to find any moss?"

Shrewpaw shook his head. "I think that if Oatwhisker dies, then StarClan meant for him to die."

He felt sick after reciting the same excuse that Squirrelpaw had given him. StarClan didn't have the right to decide when cats got to die. That was the cat's decision, and it didn't belong to anyone else.

Still, his words seemed to comfort the small black tom. Marshkit nodded in acceptance, dipping his head. Mosskit padded over to him. The she-cat was trembling with nervousness, and her amber eyes were stretched wide.

Shrewpaw wondered how Tallpoppy must be feeling. She had just lost two of her kits – and again, it was all Shrewpaw's fault. He couldn't blame it on Oatwhisker. The tom had wanted to die, and so Shrewpaw should have let him.

"I'm scared," said Mosskit quietly, her words buried by her brother's fur as she pushed her face into his side. The little kit was fluttering like a leaf in the wind.

Marshkit pressed against his sister, sweeping his tail over her back. "It's going to be alright," Shrewpaw heard him murmur in her ear. "We survived and now we're going to find our way back home somehow."

"Your home isn't with the Clans."

All three young cats turned, startled, to look at Oatwhisker. The elderly tom sat up easily, his amber eyes wide and filled with an unusual strength. The tabby looked moons younger, with a glossy pelt and powerful, rippling muscles.

Marshkit looked like he wanted to argue, but when he noticed how young and strong the elder looked, as if the tom was back in his prime, he held his tongue. Mosskit pressed against her brother, placing her muzzle against his cheek. The black tom sat up even straighter.

"You need to find the others," mewed Oatwhisker in his rumbling voice, restored and deepened with youth. "Find the others who fell off the cliffs."

"You mean they're alive?" asked Shrewpaw excitedly, sitting up despite the complaints issued by his back and legs. _Larchkit isn't dead!_

Oatwhisker nodded. "This is StarClan's destiny for you, Shrewpaw. You need to find the others, and you need to travel."

"Travel?" Shrewpaw leaned in closer, his fur pricking with interest. He had been so mad at StarClan, but maybe they had a plan for these cats after all. "Travel where?"

"Travel to where the sky touches the earth," replied Oatwhisker cryptically. The tom pulled himself up to his full height and turned his head towards a cluster of stars that were shining brightly.

"Do you remember what Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw said about the omen?" he asked. Then, turning to Mosskit and Marshkit, he added: "Or what Tawnypelt told Blackstar to look for?"

_Squirrelpaw and Brambleclaw_.

The names burned in Shrewpaw's mind, so the tom shook his head. He couldn't remember, but he knew he should. Finally, Mosskit spoke up. "Tawnypelt said that a dying warrior would light the way," said the tortoiseshell kit nervously.

Oatwhisker nodded. "So here I am, lighting your path."

"No!" exclaimed Shrewpaw, louder than he had intended. "But I thought that the omen was the shooting star… it showed us the way to travel."

The elder dipped his head. "That was their omen, Shrewpaw. This is yours."

With that, Oatwhisker pointed his muzzle directly at the brightest star in the sky. "Follow the light," he told them softly.

While Marshkit and Mosskit stared at the star in awe, Shrewpaw watched as Oatwhisker lay back down. He kept his muzzle in line with the star, and quickly fell asleep.

As Oatwhisker's eyes slowly closed, the tom's whole body seemed to age until he was elderly and weak one more. His fur was spare and his pelt was dull. The tom's front paws were twisted, and one of his ears was nearly bald. He looked so old and weak that Shrewpaw felt glad for him when the rising of his chest finally came to a stop.

He sat there for a moment, looking at the creamy tabby. Was this really what StarClan had intended for them? To separate from their Clans and complete their own journey?

Shrewpaw was so lost in thought that he hardly noticed Marshkit pressing his black muzzle against the tom's brown flank.

"We should go," murmured Marshkit.

He nodded.

They had to leave.

- - - x - - -

**A/N: **So the truth about Larchkit comes out :D I hope that calms all of you who were so upset that I had killed her off. Thanks to **KawaiiBoushi**, **Icethroat21**, **Chene**, and E**mberstar** for reviewing. You guys are such great reviewers, so you all get Mosskit plushies! /throws them out.

Also, KawaiiBoushii was right with the one of the final pairings, with a guess of MossxShrew and MarshxSplash. So you get a super awesome... er... Thistlepaw plushie? and you also get something else later, but it'll be later so I don't give too much away :)

I still have a couple of chapters rotting on my computer waiting to be updated, but sooner or later this fic is going to catch up me with :( and then the updates are going to come a whole lot slower.

So review and tell me what you think :D who's your favourite character so far?

_- Shocky_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

When Adderpaw had first woken up, he had been tense, but that tenseness had soon faded into tiredness. The tom had just wanted to lie there and sleep for a moon, dozing off the aches in his side. Everything hurt, but it felt like his lower side-flank area had taken the brunt of the fall. He had gingerly attempted to get to his paws, but after some vicious complaints from his legs, he had dropped the whole idea and gone back to lying down.

Eventually hunger had overcome the pain, and Adderpaw had painfully struggled to his paws. Hunting was hard when you were hurt and sore, and it was even harder considering that there were no moorland rabbits to be found amidst the rocky peaks and crags of the mountains. But Adderpaw had eventually managed to trap a mouse. The light brown tabby had savoured every bite, conscious that it could be his last.

There was a stream trickling by that he had located after he had eaten. The water was fresh and cool, and the tom had rejected his feline instincts by bathing within its frigid waters. The iciness had been a shock, but it had been quite refreshing, and after soaking himself through, Adderpaw had begun to feel a lot better.

Splashpaw, on the other hand, was an entirely different story. During the fall, her leg had somehow managed to twist beneath her back. When she had woken up, the she-cat had immediately begun to cry out in pain. Adderpaw had done his best to fix her leg and make her comfortable, but it soon became apparent that she wouldn't be able to hunt or walk to the stream by herself anytime soon.

They had argued, of course. Splashpaw blamed him for her fall from the cliff edge, and Adderpaw knew that it was his fault. He had been so reckless and angry at his brother for dying that he had pushed both of them off. It could have been any cat that had fallen with him. Volepaw, Whitepaw, Weaselpaw, but it had turned out to be Splashpaw.

The ginger and white she-cat had just been unlucky.

On the night of the third day, the temperatures dropped. Adderpaw shivered despite himself, and as he glanced over at Splashpaw, noticed that the spotted apprentice also looked cold. The tom hesitated a moment before padding over to her.

"How's your leg?" he asked. Whenever he had approached this subject of conversation before, Splashpaw had always hissed at him and made a sarcastic remark. _It would be a lot better if you hadn't pushed me off of the cliff._

Tonight, though, she seemed too cold to put any fire into her reply. "It hurts less," she murmured softly. "It seems to be getting better… I guess it's not that serious an injury."

Adderpaw shuffled his paws awkwardly as he sat down, neatly tucking his paws beneath his thickly-ringed tail. "So, uh, did you do any medicine cat training at all? I mean, I know Mothwing is your medicine cat apprentice, but I mean… I don't really know much about healing legs or anything."

He winced, hating to admit that he didn't know something.

Splashpaw shook her head. "I was sort of interested in it as a kit, but I never got the chance to try any of it. I don't know whether I would have liked it or not anyways."

The tom cleared his throat abruptly. Noticing how Splashpaw's thin frame shook in he cold, he stretched himself out beside her, pressing his pelt against hers. She stiffened for a moment before relaxing and allowing him to do so.

"Thirsty?" he asked. Adderpaw had found moss and had been able to bring her drinking water, but the tom was constantly worried – not that he would ever admit it – that the little he brought her was enough.

Splashpaw shook her head. "I'm fine," she said softly, resting her head on her paws. "All I want right now is a good sleep."

"I'll sleep next to you because you're cold," said Adderpaw curtly, before hastily adding: "I'm fine to sleep on my own, but I don't want you to freeze."

She looked him over, her green gaze disbelieving. Both of them knew that even if his pelt was thicker, he would probably be just as cold as her during the middle of the night. The canyon they were in was sheltered from the sun, and it was much colder than where they had travelled with the Clans.

"Sure," replied Splashpaw after the long pause. The she-cat wrapped her tail over her flank so the tip touched her forepaws. Then she placed her head back down and closed her eyes.

Adderpaw watched as her breathing slowed and she drifted off to sleep. He wanted to stay awake and stand guard, having heard the stories of the monster cats that roamed the mountains – such as Sharptooth – but eventually the tabby found that his eyelids were drooping. With a sigh, Adderpaw placed his head on his paws and slowly fell asleep.

- - - x - - -

When Adderpaw opened his eyes, it was dark. Splashpaw was still sleeping soundly, so he did his best not stir and wake her. The tom's muscles were tensed, stretching his pale brown tabby pelt taut overtop. His dark stripes rippled under the moonlight, but there was no other movement from around them. Not even a mouse could be heard scuffling.

So what had woken him?

Adderpaw kept silently and angled his ears to the sides, trying to detect any sound of movement. The tom waited, keeping as still as he could, but he heard nothing. Eventually the brown tabby gave up. His eyes were just closing when the sound came.

Pawsteps.

He sat up quickly, unsheathing his claws. Was it tribe cats coming for a midnight hunt, or maybe his Clanmates coming to look for them? Or was it something worse, like Sharptooth? The apprentice dug his claws into the ground, eyes stretched wide and ears pricked.

Splashpaw stirred beside him. As he unsheathed his claws, her bright green eyes opened wide, but the she-cat knew enough not to make a sound. She unsheathed her own claws, slowly moving to a sitting position.

Adderpaw scented the air. At first he could scent nothing, but as the pawsteps drew nearer, he picked up faint traces of a scent. _ThunderClan and ShadowClan._

"It's okay," he murmured. "It's our Clanmates."

He had just sprung to his feet when three cats padded out from a narrow pass and into the sheltered niche where he and Splashpaw had been living. The tom's relief turned into puzzlement as he realized that there were only three cats: a small apprentice and two kits.

The Clans wouldn't have sent young cats on a mission to go and find them. They might not even think that they were still alive. After all, Tallstar had been quick to assume that Thistlepaw and that ThunderClan kit had perished in their fall.

As the cats approached, their eyes shining in the darkness, Adderpaw scented again and narrowed his eyes. He recognized the young apprentice, who probably stood around the WindClan tom's shoulder height, but not the ShadowClan kits.

"Shrewpaw," greeted Adderpaw neutrally, padding forward so that their noses were only a tail-length apart. "What are you doing here?"

Relief was evident in the small brown tom's amber eyes. He dipped his head, clearly out of breath. "We've been wandering since last moonhigh to find you and Splashpaw… are Thistlepaw and Larchkit with you?"

"No…" said Adderpaw, slightly bewildered. "Why would they be with us? And why have you come to find us? Did Tallstar or one of the other leaders send you? Those ShadowClan cats are just kits. Why did they come?"

"These are Marshkit and Mosskit," said Shrewpaw as way of introduction. He sighed. "No, no leader sent us to find you, Adderpaw. We came because…"

Splashpaw struggled to her feet. Adderpaw could see that her leg was paining her, but her green eyes shone with determination. She managed to walk over to them, though she limped as she padded across the rock face.

Shrewpaw's gaze was focused on the ground. Adderpaw waited impatiently for the tom to finish, lashing his tail through the air as Shrewpaw took a few deep breaths. _What's with this cat and not being able to just spit it out?_

"We fell off the cliffs too," said the black tom, who Adderpaw assumed was Marshkit. "We survived, though."

"Oatwhisker, he's a WindClan elder…" started Shrewpaw again before realizing that Adderpaw obviously knew who the creamy tom was. "He told us to find the others and to travel to where the sky touches the earth."

Adderpaw's heart leapt at the mention of finding the others, but he pushed it down and narrowed his amber eyes. "You're travelling to a place that probably doesn't even exist because some bee-brained elder told you that you have to?"

The ThunderClan apprentice bowed his head, probably realizing how mouse-brained his words sounded now. Mosskit's amber eyes dimmed, and even Marshkit looked unsure.

"Where is Oatwhisker anyways?" asked Adderpaw rudely. He didn't care how mouse-brained the tiny apprentice in front of him felt. It was his fault for listening to drivel like that anyways. Oatwhisker was known for mumbling nonsense. "Why isn't he with you?"

"Oatwhisker died after he told us this," said Shrewpaw, and Adderpaw detected a hint of anger in his voice.

Thrown back by the revelation, Adderpaw dipped his head. He wanted to speak but couldn't, grief filling his body. Thistlepaw, Oatwhisker – they had lost too many Clanmates. "I'm sorry," he managed to choke out.

Shrewpaw took advantage of the fact that Adderpaw was taken aback. "The last thing Oatwhisker told me before he died was the follow the light; follow the path that StarClan had laid out for me. I'm going to respect his last words, even if you won't."

"StarClan?" asked Adderpaw incredulously, anger seething within him. He leapt to his feet, tearing the sparse dirt on the ground with his claws. "How can you believe that StarClan even _cares_ about us after this? Thistlepaw and Larchkit are _dead_!"

"Thistlepaw and Larchkit aren't dead," said Shrewpaw quietly.

All the anger seemed to flood out of Adderpaw and the WindClan tom deflated. "They're not?" he asked hesitantly, reluctant to believe this and allow hope to grow where it could so easily be crushed.

Shrewpaw shook his head. "They're still alive, Adderpaw. Thistlepaw and Larchkit are still out there, and we have to find them. We…"

"I'll come with you," Adderpaw interrupted him curtly. "But don't expect me to like you."

With that, the brown tabby whirled around and stalked away angrily, his tail lashing through the air. Adderpaw curled up by the pond, anger sparking off of his fur in waves. He stared idly at the water, which was reflecting the moonlight.

_There's no point to this journey. Thistlepaw might not even be alive. But if he is, I can't just abandon him. The sky touching the earth? That's nonsense. That's like walking to the horizon itself… it's impossible._

_This is mouse-brained._

He could hear Splashpaw talking to the others and asking them to sleep for the rest of the night. Adderpaw knew that once morning came, they would leave, and they would finally figure out whether or not Thistlepaw was alive.

Or they might never find him and they would be stuck wondering if the tom was dead or if he was still lost, desperately trying to find the Clans again. That's what they should be doing now, instead of going off on some unlikely journey.

They should be going home.

_This is all Shrewpaw's fault_, he thought as he closed his eyes. _If he hadn't let Larchkit go so close to the cliff, then none of us would be in this position right now._

But if he didn't go, he would be forever wondering what would have happened. Besides, if he didn't go with them, they would just leave him here all alone. It was an impossible situation.

It made him hate Shrewpaw even more.

- - - x - - -

**A/N:** thanks to Icethroat21 and KawaiiBoushi for reviewing :) You guys all get... Oatwhisker plushies? Wut? _But but but Shocky, he's old!_

I dislike how this one starts and the ending feels a bit rushed to me. Anyways, exciting chapter, they reunite :D so when they find Larchkit, will she be alive... or not?

On an unrelated note, I just saw Inception, and it was AMAZING :D Makes me want to write an Ariadne/Arthur fic. If you know what I'm talking about, then cheers :)

So, anyways, until next time.

Review! :)

_- Shocky_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Shrewpaw could barely sleep. He was pressed tightly between Mosskit and Splashpaw, and the tom barely felt the cold as it ruffled the fur on his back. Something else was forming a pit in his stomach. Aniexty. Nervousness. Worry.

Excitement?

Oatwhisker has called it his destiny to follow the shining warrior in the sky, and Shrewpaw couldn't help but feel a tingle of excitement in his paws. He had a purpose now, one that led him far away from the Clans – and far away from Squirrelpaw.

He was sad, but he was also grateful. This was a chance to start anew. He could leave Squirrelpaw and Brambleclaw behind. They might have gone on a great quest together, but Shrewpaw was ready for his own quest to begin. This was what he had been for – this was what StarClan had pushed them all over the edge for.

They were all supposed to be together here.

- - - x - - -

Morning couldn't come fast enough. Shrewpaw had hardly slept, and though he was eager to start the journey and find the other two missing cats, his muscles ached with tiredness and his vision was blurry.

Adderpaw, however, seemed a lot more awake.

When Shrewpaw got to his paws, he found the pale brown tabby trying to catch a mouse that was scurrying around by the edge of the rock. The small brown tom watched as the WindClan apprentice dropped into a crouch that was far too heavy. As he stepped forward, the mouse lifted its head and bolted, heading for the safety of the cracks by the pond.

"You need to be lighter on your feet," said Shrewpaw good-naturedly. "A rabbit will hear you before it feels you, but a mouse will feel you before it hears you. Want me to show you how to catch one?"

Adderpaw glared darkly at him before turning pointedly away. "I can catch my own prey," he mewed stiffly, padding off with his tail held high.

The former ThunderClan apprentice watched him go before shrugging and dropping into a light crouch. He located another mouse hiding behind the twisted stem of a mountain shrub and crept over to it. Then, delicately, Shrewpaw pounced and caught it between his paws.

As he straightened up, the mouse now clutched firmly in his jaws, he felt Adderpaw staring at him. The tom's amber eyes were filled with hatred.

Then Marshkit and Splashpaw were at his side. "We should get going," said Marshkit. He seemed to be growing moons older with each passing day, and he looked nearly the same size as Splashpaw, who was most likely a new apprentice.

Shrewpaw nodded. Without really knowing how, he lifted his eyes to the sky and located the spot that Oatwhisker had pointed them towards. Even without the star to guide him, he could just feel that they were going the right way by the prickling of his fur.

"Adderpaw, we're going!" he called over to the striped tom. Adderpaw looked up, seeming rather disgruntled, before reluctantly padding over.

- - - x - - -

The sun was high in the sky by the time they reached the river. It was incredibly vast, trapped in between two cliffs, and the current looked dangerously fast. The water was a deep blue, different from the small pools that they had come across before. Spray leapt up from where the water crashed against the rocks, and the cats had to stand a few good fox-lengths back.

"I remember this river," said Mosskit nervously.

They turned to look at her. The small tortoiseshell shuffled her paws nervously. "When we had stopped for a rest, Toadkit told me to go explore with him. We wandered away without Tallpoppy noticing, and we looked over the cliff."

"That was dangerous," said Splashpaw worriedly, exchanging a glance with Marshkit. The black tom pressed himself against his sister as if to urge her to carry on with her story.

"Anyways, we saw this river," finished Mosskit lamely. She immediately set about licking her chest fur to avoid meeting their gazes.

"I remember Weaselpaw saying something about a river," said Adderpaw. When Shrewpaw turned to look at him, surprised, he just glared back at the tom, his amber eyes narrowed into slits. "What?"

Shrewpaw just shook his head and turned away. He would be mouse-brained to expect anything but mouse-brained remarks out of the WindClan apprentice – former WindClan apprentice, he reminded himself. The tom turned back to Mosskit.

"How close is this to where Thistlepaw and Larchkit fell?" he asked.

"Close," said Mosskit without hesitation. "I know that we stopped soon after they fell, just to take a breather and get a few sips of water."

"Then that means they must be close by, right?" asked Splashpaw cheerfully, her bright green eyes lighting up with hope and happiness. She was still limping, but the pain seemed to be receding, and she was able to keep up to them with some work.

Shrewpaw nodded. "They should be near. Hopefully they're drinking from this river, which would put them close to us," he mewed. He was about to continue when Marshkit shushed him.

"Hear that?" asked the black tom.

Shaking his head, Shrewpaw angled his ears in the direction that Marshkit was gesturing and listening. It took him a second, but he eventually heard the soft sounds of a cat eating. The tom tried to scent but the wetness of the river blocked out everything.

"Stay here," he ordered. Mosskit, Marshkit, and Splashpaw all nodded and retreated another few steps. Adderpaw snorted and rolled his eyes, but the tom followed Shrewpaw's order nevertheless.

Shrewpaw gingerly approached the niche in the crag where the sounds where coming from. As his pawsteps brought him close, his amber eyes began to make out the form of a skinny cat in the shadows.

As if trapped in a dream, the little kit stepped forward, her amber eyes wide with recognition and happiness. The she-cat's body looked limped and battered and she looked absolutely famished, but her eyes shone with pride at being able to catch the mouse that now hung limp in her jaws.

Shrewpaw felt his legs go weak. "L-Larchkit," he breathed shakily, bending down to touch noses with his little sister. The weak hope that had been growing within him suddenly swelled as he rubbed his muzzle against hers. "You're alive!"

She nodded and Shrewpaw realized how much she was shaking. In just a short span, her fur had become unkempt and she had grown even skinnier. She had never had to survive or hunt on her own before, and this was a horrible way to learn. He drew her in with his tail and pressed her close against him.

Adderpaw decided to ruin their reunion. "Is Thistlepaw with you?" he asked bluntly.

Larchkit shook her head. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she was too weak. Shrewpaw nudged her and gestured towards her mouse. _Keep eating._

"I'm right here."

They all turned around at that. Shrewpaw was the slowest to react, but he unsheathed his claws, his neck fur fluffing up. But it was just Thistlepaw.

The white tom strode out from behind some boulders. He also looked gaunt, his amber eyes sunken into his pace and his pelt dull. Shrewpaw guessed that WindClan cats were no good at hunting in the mountains, if Adderpaw was anything to go by.

Adderpaw rushed over to his Clanmate and touched noses with him curtly. Shrewpaw narrowed his eyes. Was Adderpaw still cold even with members of his own Clan?

"We have to go," said the pale brown tom. He and Thistlepaw padded over to join the others.

"Go where?" asked Thistlepaw. His voice was calm and strong, and Shrewpaw felt a wave of respect wash over him. Thistlepaw had not asked why they needed to leave – he had accepted it without question.

"Ask Shrewpaw." Adderpaw flicked his tail at the small brown tom, his amber eyes hostile.

Thistlepaw looked at Shrewpaw, but his eyes bore no hostility, only curiosity. Seeming to accept Shrewpaw as the leader of their journey, though not knowing what it was about yet, Thistlepaw dipped his head to the dusky brown tom.

"Oatwhisker told me that we all fell for a reason…" Shrewpaw trailed off. Since Adderpaw had made him aware of how mouse-brained it sounded, he had been starting to doubt both the elder's words and himself. "He said that go to where the sky meets the earth and that this is StarClan's destiny for us."

Thankfully, Thistlepaw accepted what he said without question. "Then we should travel to where the sky meets the earth. Do you have a direction? Anything to go on?"

Adderpaw looked angry that Thistlepaw was believing Shrewpaw so easily. Shrewpaw, however, was grateful for the white and grey tom's support. "I have a star," he said quietly. "But I know where it is when it isn't night."

Thistlepaw blinked and gave Shrewpaw a long look. Shrewpaw hoped that the tom could see the fear and uncertainty in his eyes. He wanted this journey to be his destiny more than anything else, but he couldn't quite escape his doubts.

Then Thistlepaw nodded. "Oatwhisker was a brave cat, and StarClan made a good choice to speak through him. I'll follow you, Shrewpaw."

Shrewpaw nodded, touched by the trust that the older apprentice had bestowed upon him. As the tom turned to leave, he saw Thistlepaw sidle up beside Larchkit and murmur something in her ear. He was about to snap before realizing that they must have been living together for the past few nights.

Thistlepaw had been taking care of his sister.

- - - x - - -

They walked until their paws were sore, but all of the tiredness had vanished from Shrewpaw's limbs. He had taken the lead, with Thistlepaw and Larchkit flanking him. Behind him walked Splashpaw, Marshkit, and Mosskit, their eyes weary but eager to discover their now home. Adderpaw followed last, his amber eyes glittering with hostility.

At first they went back through the mountains, but once they had come out, they had seen Twoleg monsters in the distance, swarming their beloved forest. Shrewpaw had wanted to go back and find the elders who had stayed behind, while Adderpaw had scornfully replied that they didn't need any old ThunderClan cats to slow them down. It had been Thistlepaw who had broken up the fight by telling Shrewpaw that it was too dangerous. Grudgingly, the ThunderClan apprentice had agreed.

So they had skirted past the Twoleg monsters, still following the star. It lead them past a smaller Twolegplace, where they had been yapped at by dogs. To Shrewpaw's surprise, Larchkit had darted behind Thistlepaw for shelter. He knew it was natural – the older apprentice was much stronger and larger than the small brown tom, but still it stung.

Then they had crossed open moorland, where the grass had been thick and the pebbles had been sparse. Adderpaw had eagerly shown off his hunting skills, easily catching a couple rabbits without Thistlepaw's help. Shrewpaw couldn't remember being so full.

Eventually they came to the last Thunderpath. On the other side, a forest stretched as far as they could see. Shrewpaw itched to be back in a place that felt like home.

"I'll cross first," offered Splashpaw bravely. Marshkit looked as though he was going to argue but soon changed his mind. Shrewpaw thought it was a wise decision – nothing could tame the ginger and white apprentice's spark. After her leg had recovered, Splashpaw had become more and more cheerful, and now her purr was often heard among the group of journeying cats.

Splashpaw waited until a small white monster had rushed by before throwing herself across the Thunderpath. Shrewpaw noticed Marshkit watching her, his eyes wide with admiration.

"I'm fine!" she called from where she was standing in the shadows of the trees. "Come on over!"

Mosskit was the next to cross, and the small tortoiseshell kit was supported by her brother. The two dashed across at the same time, narrowly avoiding a bright red monster that was speeding by. Shrewpaw imagined that it had been stained by the blood of cats.

To his irritation, Thistlepaw and Larchkit went next. The white tom prodded her forward delicately with his grey tail as he followed behind, pawsteps light on the black dirt. Larchkit looked nervous, but some of her previous fire returned to her eyes, and she made it across without incident.

"You next," grunted Adderpaw without looking at the small brown tom beside him.

Shrewpaw nodded and padded up to the Thunderpath, memories of what had almost happened to him still far too fresh in his mind. Then, when he was convinced that the coast was clear, he ran across quickly.

When he reached the other side, Larchkit nosed him happily. The tom didn't even see Adderpaw start to cross as he flicked his sister with his tail, but a short gasp from Thistlepaw made him look up. He had never heard Thistlepaw gasp before – the senior apprentice didn't worry easily.

Shrewpaw quickly looked up, his eyes wide. Adderpaw was half-away across the Thunderpath, but he had stumbled and fallen to the ground.

He was on the ground and a monster was rushing full-speed towards him.

- - - x - - -

**A/N**: Hi, sorry, I know this chapter went by a little quickly. I have the chapter by chapter summary done for this fic and I have it at 50 chapters exactly. But anyways, future chapters are going to be a little slow. Gah, I didn't mean to make Thistlepaw sound like he did... just loyal and flat. I promise he's a better character than he seems right now.

Anyways, thanks to **Icethroat21**, **Amberleaf**, **Chene**, and **Windey** for reviewing :D You guys all get little Thistlepaw plushies :) **KawaiiBoushi,** because you guessed one of the pairings right, you get your special prize now: you get to create a tribe cat (a to-be) for the story. Just keep in mind that thus tribe lives in the forest. So leave name, age, gender, description, and personality in a review and I'll stick them in somewhere :D

Also, thanks to everyone who added this to their alerts/favourites.

Next chapter we run in with the Tribe... if Adderpaw gets off of that Thunderpath in time!

Review and let me know what you think :)

_- Shocky_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he saw the monster draw closer. Spitting out black dirt, the pale brown tabby scrambled to his feet faster than he had ever though possible. Without a second jump, the wiry tom jumped.

He didn't jump to the side of the Thunderpath. The monster would have clipped him for sure. Instead, Adderpaw had jumped the only direction possible – he had jumped up.

His paws hit the monster's face just above its eyes, which were glittering strange shades of red and orange in the sunlight. Adderpaw scrabbled to dig his claws into the creature's skin but to his surprise, they just made a high-pitched wailing noise and slid down. He made another leap, this time clearing the monster's thick black brows and making it onto the head.

The monster stopped underneath him but Adderpaw found that he couldn't stop. The tom was sailing through the air, his paws outstretched and his amber eyes wide. He tried to angle his body towards Thistlepaw, who was watching him anxiously.

Then before he knew what was happening, the tom had landed in the bracken. His front leg was twisted awkwardly underneath him but did not feel broken. His fine pale pelt was covered in scraps of leaf and bramble, and his body was splayed in a rather undignified manner.

Mosskit and Thistlepaw were the first to rush over him. The small tortoiseshell's amber eyes were full of worry, and Adderpaw was surprised. He had thought that she disliked him, just like every other cat there save Thistlepaw. The white apprentice was nosing him and trying to check for pain.

"I'm _fine_, Thistlepaw," snarled Adderpaw half-heartedly, struggling to his paws. He winced, placing his foreleg into position rather shakily, but managed to stay upright. "It was more just the shock than anything."

It was Shrewpaw's turn to look concerned. "Are you alright?" asked the small tom, making his way over. Larchkit followed behind him, hiding beneath his forelegs and peering out with pale hazel eyes.

"Never better," he snapped sarcastically, standing up and padding off. He was aware of Shrewpaw watching him, pity evident in the apprentice's amber eyes. Well he didn't want Shrewpaw's pity. He was stronger than that cat would ever be.

It was Thistlepaw who came over to fetch him. "We still have some time before the sun sets, so we were thinking of finding a good place to camp within the forest. What do you think?" he asked softly.

Adderpaw ground his claws into the ground. "'We', Thistlepaw?" he asked darkly. "Who does that mean? Did you all come up with this idea, or did Shrewpaw just suggest it and you all decided to go along with it because apparently Shrewpaw has been given some great destiny by StarClan?"

There was en edge to Thistlepaw's voice now. "It was Marshkit's idea, actually, and you should cut Shrewpaw a little bit of slack. It's not like you're being very helpful right now, Adderpaw. We're trying to find a home and you're off sulking by yourself."

He flushed, his fur prickling with shame. He wasn't used to Thistlepaw taking a tone like that, and he knew that his once-denmate was right. Adderpaw shouldn't have been angry at the small tom, but he couldn't help it. All of him wanted to be back with WindClan right now, but couldn't because StarClan apparently had a different path for him.

Sighing, the light brown tabby padded back over. He took his place beside Splashpaw at the back. The she-cat's green eyes were full of concern, but she was smart enough to say anything in case it accidentally set him off.

Then Marshkit flicked his tail and the group of cats padded off through the trees.

Adderpaw had never been in a forest before, and it scared him. The grass was so thick under his paws, the canopy of leaves cast strange shadows onto the forest floor. He cracked a twig with nearly every step, bumbling into patches of bramble or twisted shrubs. The woods rang with bird calls, but there was no friendly scent of rabbit or sound of the wind blowing.

Thistlepaw looked uncomfortable too. The tom's ears were pricked forward and he picked his way through the undergrowth with extreme care, following Shrewpaw. The brown cat had taken the lead due to his familiarity with the forest, and for once Adderpaw was grateful.

"I'm hungry," he heard Mosskit whisper to Marshkit, who had dropped back to be with his sister. Adderpaw felt a stab of irritation ripple through him. Weren't they all hungry? They had been hungry ever since the Twolegs had begun to tear up the forest for their new Thunderpath.

Splashpaw seemed to cue in on his thoughts. She brushed up against him, but when the pale tabby turned to look at her, she was focused straight ahead. "Try to be generous. They're just kits. Your Clan is naturally lean, but they're used to being well-fed."

"Go away," he mumbled, ducking his head between his shoulders to avoid looking at her. His response was quiet and half-hearted, and Splashpaw didn't seem to take any heed of it. The spotted she-cat kept walking in tandem beside him.

"I'm just saying you could try to be nicer," she chided softly. Splashpaw nudged him, trying to lighten the mood, but all it did was make Adderpaw even angrier. The tom sighed in frustration.

"And I'm just saying go away," he snapped in return, upping his pace and getting a few strides ahead of her. He made the mistake of looking over his shoulder just in time to see Splashpaw's bright green eyes fade slightly.

"Hey, watch it!" mewed Marshkit.

Adderpaw looked down to find that he had almost trodden on Marshkit's tail. Sighing, he let the black tom take a few more steps forward before following. Twoleg monsters, arguments with Thistlepaw, and now clumsiness – was nothing going right today?

Yeah, it wasn't like they were walking through unexplored territory to find a place that didn't exist.

- - - x - - -

Splashpaw was the one to find the stream. She leapt into and rolled around, sending glittering arcs of water through the air. Thistlepaw, more rationally, suggested following the stream to see if it led them to any shelter.

Which it did.

They found a group of bracken clumps, sheltered by large oak trees, by the stream. The air was thick with the scent of prey, and Thistlepaw had set out to hunt with Marshkit and Larchkit by his side. Marshkit had volunteered to help Shrewpaw check the area for danger, while Adderpaw had settled himself under a clump of ferns.

"Adderpaw!"

The brown tabby looked up, his eyes narrowing as he saw Shrewpaw padding towards him. He looked sheepish, his amber eyes full of doubt. Nevertheless, the small brown cat plopped his haunches on the ground beside Adderpaw and shuffled his paws nervously.

"Can we, err, can we work this out?" he asked awkwardly, looking at the ground rather than at Adderpaw.

He sighed. "Depends on what you're willing to do," muttered Adderpaw stingily, stretching out. Shrewpaw was blocking his sunlight, and it was a lot considering how little filtered through the thick canopy in the first place.

"Adderpaw," said Shrewpaw pleadingly. His gaze flicked back to where Marshkit was waiting for him, the small black tom flicking his tail back and forth impatiently. "I don't want to fight with you anymore. This is just as much your destiny as it is mine."

"You're the one with the star," he muttered.

The brown tom sighed. "Adderpaw, I know, but look… what if… okay. I might be the one with the star, but it's the cats that I'm travelling with whom I'm lucky to have. All of you are more important than StarClan's destiny for me, because we have to do this together. I promise that I would never abandon any of you for what StarClan has shown me."

Adderpaw pricked his ears. Those were big words for such a small cat. Ignoring StarClan in favour of friendship. Not that they were friends, of course. But Shrewpaw was trying. The lean moorland cat looked up at Shrewpaw, his amber eyes betraying no emotion. "You promise?"

"I promise," murmured Shrewpaw.

Marshkit beckoned him over, meowing something about a strange scent. Shrewpaw hurriedly said his goodbyes to Adderpaw before bounding off to join the former ShadowClan kit. Adderpaw watched him go before resting his head on his paws.

Did Shrewpaw mean what he said?

Finally he couldn't stand doing nothing, and so he wandered over to the stream. Splashpaw was there, fishing cheerfully and purring happily at the water. It was nothing like the river back home, but Adderpaw guessed that it brought back good memories.

He coughed. "I'm sorry for stealing fish from the river," he said awkwardly.

Splashpaw turned to look at him. At first her green eyes glittered with confusion, but they soon narrowed. "Back in the old territories, you mean?"

Adderpaw nodded. "I wasn't very good at it, though. I only caught one fish." When he noticed Splashpaw looking at him angrily, he stiffened. "I had to feed my brother. He was sick and underfed. RiverClan had more prey than any other Clan."

The fur on Splashpaw's neck began to lie flat. "I suppose you're right," she said softly. "If Volepaw or Heavypaw were starving, I don't know what I'd do… or… what I would have done, rather."

He winced. The Clans thought they were dead. But before he could come up with a reply, a strange new scent infiltrated his glands and made the tom whirl around. Splashpaw obviously scented it too, for the splotched she-cat was already leaping to her feet, claws unsheathed.

Four cats emerged from the bracken. One was large and hulking, one was small, like an apprentice, and the two others seemed slim and fit. But they were like no cats that Adderpaw had ever seen before. Their fur was a mossy green in colour, and it rippled it the sunlight as if it was wet.

"That's plant pulp on their fur," whispered Splashpaw. With a start, Adderpaw realized that she was right. These cats were just like them, except their fur was slicked back with goo from chewed up herbs.

"When are the others coming back?" asked Adderpaw nervously, keeping one eye fixed on the strange cats. They strolled towards the cats lazily, their muscles rippling under their sleek pelts. Their dark eyes glittered.

Splashpaw shook her head. She had no idea. "Maybe we can just talk to them. We're outnumbered and outsized," she suggested quietly.

It was too late for that. The smallest cat, his fur a dark brown underneath the green of his pelt, leapt at Adderpaw with a loud yowl. He pinned him down and the two tussled for a moment before Adderpaw managed to kick the thickset tom off of him.

He sprang up and the two toms faced each other. Adderpaw hissed and leapt forward, bringing his paw down to strike a blow. The other tom ducked and looked like he wanted to charge Adderpaw, but the pale tabby easily leapt out of the way.

Then Adderpaw leapt and tried to clear the other cat's head to land on his back. The heavyset tom ducked and rolled, trapping Adderpaw with his forepaws and bringing him down underneath him. Adderpaw struggled, but the cat had his shoulders pressed against the ground.

He was just about to give the young tom a warning bite on the shoulder when something barrelled into his side. _Shrewpaw!_ The others had returned!

Adderpaw leapt to his paws and looked around. Splashpaw was herding the kits away from danger while Thistlepaw tussled with a light brown tabby tom, his muscles evident despite his wiry frame.

A cry for help caught Adderpaw's attention. He turned to see Shrewpaw lying on the ground with a paw pressed against his neck, pinned down by a giant tom whose ginger fur was just visible through the pulp.

The young cat watched, horrified, as the tom slashed his paw down towards Shrewpaw's neck, unsheathed claws glinting in the sunlight.

- - - x - - -

**A/N: **Yeah, yeah, I _know_ the last chapter ended in a cliffhanger too... but how else to end them? Anyways, the next one is a little more satisfying at the end :)

I guess AdderSplash looks like a plausible couple... but I swear they're not! :P

Anyways, thanks to **Cinderpaw11**, **Amory Dark**, **Amberleaf**, **Icethroat21**, **Chene**, and **KawaiiBoushi **for reviewing. That's six reviewers! :D Thanks guys, that's actually really awesome, and I really appreciate it.

So, some new cats come in. Will Shrewpaw stay with them or head on? What happens if some of the others have a bit of a disagreement about it? Also, Icethroat, shh! I can kill whatever characters whenever I want :P

anyways, I hope you enjoyed :D review!

_- Shocky_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Shrewpaw struggled in vain against the large paw that was holding him down. But the claws were coming closer and closer, and he couldn't break free. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the pain. This was it. _StarClan, please forgive me, I tried._

"Flames, let go of him!"

Then suddenly the weight on his throat was released and he gasped for air, rolling over onto his stomach and pushing himself up on his paws. The ginger tom had retreated, his dark green eyes glittering menacingly. The cat who had spoken was a slender she-cat, her ginger fur just peeking up from underneath the green coating. _Pulp._

"They're intruders, Dawn," he snarled, his upper lip curling. Out of the four cats, he was the only one who still looked hostile. The light brown tom was cheerfully licking his paw, while the younger tabby was examining them curiously.

"That doesn't make them enemies," she mewed, and Shrewpaw was startled to hear how melodic her voice sounded compared to the gruffness of the giant ginger tom. The she-cat sighed and turned back to the seven travelling cats.

"My name is Dawn that Breaks the Sky," she said in greeting. Though her tone was kind, her soft green eyes still seemed wary. "Who are you?"

Shrewpaw look over at the others for a brief moment before glancing back at the strange new cats. "I'm Shrewpaw…" he said slowly. "These are my friends. Larchkit, Thistlepaw, Adderpaw, Splashpaw, Marshkit, and Mosskit."

She nodded slowly. "Why are you on Tribe territory?

_Tribe?_ Shrewpaw's eyes widened. They clearly weren't the Tribe of Rushing Water, so did that mean that there was more than one tribe, and that this one was living in the forest instead of the mountains. He took a look behind him and saw that the others were just as shocked as he was.

Shrewpaw dipped his head. "It was by accident. We're just passing through and we didn't know that we were trespassing on any cat's territory."

It was the light brown tabby's turn to speak up. The compact cat leapt to his paws and padded over. His eyes, while curious, bore no signs of hostility. "Where are you from?" he asked cheerfully while the large ginger cat behind him sighed in irritation.

"A forest not many days from here," mewed Thistlepaw, coming to stand beside Shrewpaw. He gazed at the cat he had been fighting with nothing but friendly respect. "We're trying to find a new place to live."

The light tabby nodded. "I doubt you could ever be Tribe Cats, but I think you should come back with us and meet Brackenteller," he mewed. "He might be able to tell you where you can find a place with cats more like yourself…"

"What tribe are you all from?" asked Splashpaw. The four cats looked affronted, though Flames generally looked affronted so he might not have counted, that she was suggesting that there were tribes other than them.

"We are from the Tribe of Falling Leaves," said the thick brown tabby indignantly, his yellow eyes flashing. "Why? Have you heard of other tribes?"

Shrewpaw and Thistlepaw exchanged glances before Thistlepaw finally nodded. "Some of our Clanmates met another tribe in the mountains, one called the Tribe of Rushing Water. What do you call your ancestors?"

Dawn blinked, as if startled by the question, but deigned to answer it anyways. "When a Tribe cat dies, they walk with the Tribe of Endless Hunting. Why?"

Marshkit's eyes widened and even Adderpaw looked intrigued. Shrewpaw scuffled his paws on the ground nervously, but Thistlepaw just shook his head. "Never mind," he mewed calmly. "Anyways, Dawn, we didn't mean to trespass. May we pass through the forest in peace?"

It was Dawn's turn to exchange glances with the cats beside her. The golden brown tabby padded forward and addressed them. "My name is Eagle which Hunts in the Evening," he introduced himself. "I'm a prey-catcher. Uh, I think it would be best if you came with us to meet Brackenteller."

It seemed as though Brackenteller was their leader. Shrewpaw was going to agree when Adderpaw hissed and unsheathed his claws. "We're not going anywhere with you," snarled the tabby. "We have you outnumbered."

Eagle sighed and pointed at Mosskit and Larchkit with one claw extended. "You have kits? Do you really think they can fight? They would just be hurt."

Adderpaw narrowed his eyes. "You think you're so tough? I can take you any of you any day."

"Flames that Char the Forest is a full gave-guard!" boasted the dark brown tom proudly, nudging the ginger cat behind him. "I'm only a to-be, Cry of Diving Hawk, but the two of us could easily take you on!"

Shrewpaw didn't doubt that he could. While Thistlepaw glared at Adderpaw and mouthed at him to be quiet, he stepped forward. "We, err, didn't mean to be so rude," he meowed, wishing he had Thistlepaw's stoic voice. "Of course we'll come with you."

Adderpaw shot him a disbelieving look, but Larchkit relaxed visibly. She padded forward, pressing her thin frame between Shrewpaw and Thistlepaw's forelegs. Shrewpaw took the opportunity to size up his opponents. Dawn and Eagle were strong but not hostile, and Cry seemed to enjoy boasting more than actual fighting. It was Flames though, that he was worried about.

The memory of the tom's claw descending towards his throat flashed in Shrewpaw's mind and the brown apprentice shivered.

"Follow us," said Eagle. "Cry, Dawn, you two go ahead. Flames and I will take the rear. Kits, make sure you stay in the middle – this forest can be treacherous if you don't know it very well."

Shrewpaw hesitated before beckoning for the others to follow. Adderpaw did so angrily, his neck fur fluffed and his ears flat against his head. The former ThunderClan apprentice was surprised at how easily everyone had taken to him being leader, just because Oatwhisker had addressed him. Even Thistlepaw listened to him calmly, despite the fact that the grey and white tom was many moons his senior.

The only problem was Adderpaw. If Shrewpaw hadn't received the sign, the pale tabby probably would have taken charge. It was in his personality. But Adderpaw had been ousted from his natural position as leader, and the tom wasn't taking too kindly too it.

Shrewpaw sighed as he found himself falling into place beside Dawn. His eyes must have betrayed his weariness, for she glanced at him with sympathy in her bright green eyes.

"We will eat once we arrive," she said gently. Though she and the others had an odd way of pronouncing things, Shrewpaw was becoming more and more accustomed to it, and her words created a purr deep in his throat.

"Thanks," he mumbled in return, just grateful to still be alive.

- - - x - - -

Shrewpaw was startled when the Tribe cats stopped. Feeling Dawn pause beside him, he tore his gaze away from the ground, and what he saw next shocked him.

There was a huge pile of rocks that looked as though they were erupting from the ground. Stacked on top of each other, these massive slabs of stone broke through the leafy canopy and out into open air. There were some cats milling about outside on the slab, and others disappearing into makeshift dens at the base.

"These are the Brackenrocks," murmured Dawn as they arrived.

"Brackenrocks?" asked Shrewpaw curiously. He peered at the rock pile, narrowing his eyes, but he couldn't see any plant growth or even any sign of life apart from the few cats, their fur green with mulch, that slipped up and down the rocks with practised ease.

She nodded. "At the very top is the Cave of Thick Bracken, where the Teller of Thick Bracken reads the signs that are given to us by the Tribe of Endless Hunting. He is our healer and our leader, and he is very wise."

"The Teller of Thick Bracken," repeated Shrewpaw. "Is that the same as the cat Eagle mentioned before, the one he called Brackenteller?"

The ginger she-cat nodded. "They're one and the same," she mewed, casting a glance back at the others. "Now that we have all caught up, follow me."

Without a warning, Dawn bounded forward to the base of the rocks. She easily climbed up the first two slabs before disappearing into a dark hole. Shrewpaw hesitated before following her. The jump was a little more difficult, and he scrambled to get up, but the tom eventually made it and padded over to where Dawn disappeared.

Entering through a hole in the rocks, he found himself in a very large cave that was probably made by three or four slabs leaning on each other. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Shrewpaw realized that he and Dawn weren't the only cats who were in the cave.

Yes, there were the others who were padding in behind him, but there were also cats at the fringes of the enclosed space, watching him with gleaming eyes. Finally, a large tom padded forward. He wore no pulp, so it was easy to see that his fur was a pale ginger and his muzzle was tinged with silver.

Shrewpaw dropped into a bow. "You must be Brackenteller," he said respectfully, assuming based on the way the other cats treated this one with a special respect.

The ginger tom nodded and turned to the cats behind him. "Swift, Branch, fetch these cats a rabbit that they can share from the caught-prey pile," he instructed. Shrewpaw blinked in confusion. _Fresh-kill?_

Then he turned back to Shrewpaw. "Yes, I am Brackenteller. Who are you, might I ask?"

"Shrewpaw of ThunderClan," he replied immediately. "Or at least I was. My friends and I were all separated from our Clans and we seek a new place to live. We didn't mean to trespass, so while we thank you for your hospitality, we will have to leave soon."

"Why not stay here?" Brackenteller asked, puzzled. "The forest is large and prey is plentiful enough for all cats."

Thistlepaw, padding forward, dipped his head. "Greetings Brackenteller, my name is Thistlepaw. The thing is, we are Clan cats at heart, and we do not belong with a Tribe."

Something flickered through Brackenteller's hazel eyes but Shrewpaw couldn't quite catch it. Did the pale tom know more than he was letting on? But the tom just nodded. "I understand. But please, spend a night or two here. After today you will have to hunt on your own, of course, but don't be afraid to ask any of my cats for advice."

Shrewpaw held back the urge to tell him that he was naturally a forest hunter. Instead he just dipped his head. "Thank you, Brackenteller."

With that, the old tom turned and padded away, disappearing into the shadows of the cave. The cats that had been guarding them moved away, except for Dawn who stayed by Shrewpaw's side. She pressed her tail to his flank, and when he turned, she directed his attention towards one side of the cave.

The cats whom Brackenteller had spoken to earlier were returning. The first, a compact and muscular white and black tom, held a rabbit in his mouth. He dropped it by Larchkit's paws and purred out a greeting. "I'm Swift that Spans the Sky, a prey-hunter."

Stepping forward, the young grey tom behind Swift revealed that he clutched a squirrel in his mouth. He nudged it forward to Mosskit shyly. "You look like you could eat a whole one," he purred before turning to Thistlepaw, Marshkit, and Shrewpaw. "I'm Branch of Ancient Tree, uh, I'm just a to-be."

"I'm Shrewpaw," said the tom and launched into another introduction of his friends and explaining why they were all journeying. When he was done, Swift just nodded.

"Follow me," he instructed. "I'll show you where you can sleep."

Larchkit pressed close to Shrewpaw as the journeying cats slowly padded off after Swift. The Clan part of their life was ending. They would never return to their old lives. A new life stretched ahead of them as far as they could see.

Shrewpaw could only hope that it would be worth it.

- - - x - - -

**A/N: **No, they aren't all going to end up as tribe cats... their journey doesn't stop here. I like this chapter though, for some reason or another! No cliffhanger this time, just a horizon of endless possibilities.

Thanks to Chene, Amberleaf, and Icethroat21 for reviewing again :D you guys are all amazing, and you all get Cry plushies :)

I'll try to update soon. I hope you enjoyed so far :)

_- Shocky_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Adderpaw was roused from his slumber by a heavy paw. The pale tabby had been curled up beside Thistlepaw, his legs neatly tucked under his body. In fact, he had been enjoying his first good sleep in what felt like moons.

He yawned, revealing sharp white incisors. Then reality settled in and immediately he was tensed and ready to attack. The air around him smelled like strange cats, and he was being prodded by a cat he had never seen before in his life. Everything felt wrong. Where was he?

Then he relaxed. He was in the main cavern of the Tribe of Falling Leaves, and the cat in front of him was nothing more than a small black kit. Adderpaw yawned again and sat up, narrowing his amber eyes as he glowered at the young kit.

"What do you want?" he asked with a snarl.

The kit didn't shrink back. The young tom was big for his age, which Adderpaw estimated to be around three moons. The kit did, however, lower his paw and gaze at him with serious green eyes. He sat down unblinkingly and wrapped his tail around his paws, licking a paw and drawing it over his head.

Then another cat came over, this time a grown she-cat. "Sorry!" she exclaimed, and Adderpaw's fur prickled with embarrassment. "This is Rubble where Large Tree Falls, I'm sorry he bothered you. He's never met a cat that wasn't from the Tribe before…"

Adderpaw fixed her with a dark glare. "Have you?" he asked dryly.

The black she-cat didn't seem offended as she gently urged Rubble away. "I met a loner once," she admitted. "He seemed nice at first, but then… well, let's go say he turned out to be not so nice. My mate Bramble chased him off. He's a caveguard – Bramble where Tiny Mice Hide. He's right over there."

Adderpaw followed her tail flick to where a large dark brown tabby was standing. He was broad-shouldered, just like rubble, with a wide head and bright amber eyes. "Rubble is going to be a cave-guard too," she purred excitedly. "He was born into it. Bark, that's Bark that Protects the Trunk, is going to be a prey-hunter instead. Those are only my two youngest kits, though. I'm also the mother of Flint that Reflects Bright Light and Run of Worried Mouse, but Bramble wasn't their father."

He wasn't affected by her enthusiasm. "So what's your name?" he asked, interested despite himself. Adderpaw couldn't help wondering what his Tribe name were to be if Shrewpaw decided to stay – no, if _he_ decided to stay. Shrewpaw didn't make his decisions for him.

"Shadow of Looming Oak," she said cheerfully, beginning to groom herself. The quick flicks of her paw over her ear were replicated in her tail, the twitching of which began to woke Marshkit. He lay beside Splashpaw, who was on Adderpaw's other side.

"No, Toadkit…" mumbled Marshkit drowsily. "That's mouse-brained… no, geddoff… I'm too tired to play right now."

Splashpaw, who seemed to have already been awake and witnessing the whole thing, nudged him. "Wake up, Marshkit," she said gently, and slowly the black tom opened his eyes. When he saw Shadow he instantly leapt to his feet before remembering where he was and letting his fur lie flat.

Shadow's eyes widened at Marshkit's hostile reaction. She pushed Rubble towards her and looked at them apologetically. "I should really go," she mumbled, taking her kit and padding off.

"Way to scare her off," purred Splashpaw good-naturedly, flicking Marshkit with her tail. The tom was looking more and more like an apprentice everyday, and he rolled his eyes.

"I'm glad she's gone," muttered Adderpaw darkly. He didn't like her strange enthusiasm. It was like her whole life revolved around the Tribe and she couldn't see beyond the confines of the Brackenrocks – and her kits.

"Aw, don't be so stingy Adderpaw," teased Marshkit gently. At first Adderpaw felt like snapping back a reply, but a warm feeling rose up inside of him when he realized that the black kit was teasing him because he genuinely accepted the pale brown tabby.

Splashpaw nodded. "I'll get Shadow right back here to deal with your attitude. _I'm sure everything would be fine, dear, if you just had a few kits…"_

A purr rose in Marshkit's throat and the two began to laugh outrageously at Splashpaw's imitation. Adderpaw just sighed and narrowed his eyes, hiding an amused twitch of his whiskers at the expression on Marshkit's face.

He turned away from them, looking up as another cat came over. It was Bramble, his amber eyes full of simple curiosity. To Adderpaw's disappointment, he headed straight for Shrewpaw. The tom murmured something in the smaller cat's ear, and then Shrewpaw got up to follow him.

"I'll be back," muttered Adderpaw hastily, rising to his feet.

Splashpaw and Marshkit, who had recovered from their fit of laughter, looked at him curiously. "Where are you going?" asked the ginger and white she-cat curiously, her green eyes shining with happiness.

Adderpaw shrugged. "Nowhere," he lied. "I just wanted to get some air."

Seeing Shrewpaw and Bramble slip through a tiny crevice in a wall nearby, Adderpaw waited until they had completely vanished before following them.

He slipped through the crevice and found himself back outside, though he was surrounded by large slabs of rock. Shrewpaw and Bramble were already a few above him, and so Adderpaw climbed hastily. A few slabs up, they disappeared back into a cavern.

Adderpaw stuck his nose through before realizing that this cavern was far smaller than the one before. He withdrew hastily and positioned himself right outside, where he could hear every noise from inside the enclosed area.

"Shrewpaw!" That was Brackenteller's greeting. There was a pause, and Adderpaw imagined that they were touching noses or something like that.

"Brackenteller, why did you want to see me?" This was Shrewpaw's voice. The young tom sounded genuinely confused. Adderpaw felt a stab of doubt at his anger towards the small brown tom but quickly pushed it away.

"Last sunhigh, you told me that you were Clan cats at heart and that you could not stay with the tribe," said Brackenteller. His voice was thick with sorrow and Adderpaw imagined him staring at the ground with a defeated expression.

Shrewpaw didn't say anything, and so Brackenteller continued. "As much as I wish you would rest here with us, I… I understand your position. I didn't tell you this before, but…"

Still there was silence from Shrewpaw. Adderpaw felt his chest tighten and his paws tingle with excitement. It felt like Brackenteller was going to say something important.

"There are a Clan of cats not far from here," finished Brackenteller with a sigh. He sounded tired and defeated. "They call themselves SkyClan."

_Another Clan?_ Adderpaw's eyes widened, but he kept his body still as he listened to Shrewpaw reply. "Thank you, Brackenteller," murmured the brown tom.

That was enough. Adderpaw's whole body itched with curiosity, yet he was also stung by betrayal. Neither Tallstar nor any of the elders had ever mentioned a SkyClan. Did they come from the original Clans, or were they formed separately?

He took a step back but his paw scrabbled on a pebble. It clattered down from the slab of rock, making a noise that echoed around the sides of the miniature canyon. Adderpaw leapt down quickly, disappearing into another cavern just as he heard Shrewpaw's voice call out: "Hello?"

The new cavern that he was in was dark for the most part, but sunlight glittered from a hole in the roof and fell in a circular pattern on the floor. As Adderpaw entered, he was aware of cats in the shadows.

Then, without warning, two cats leapt out into the circle of light. Adderpaw recognized the first one as Cry of Diving Hawk, but the second, a pretty silver tabby, was still unknown to him. He watched in surprise as they fell to the ground, tussling.

Cry seemed to be winning and holding her down, and when the she-cat went limp Adderpaw wondered if she was alright. But then she sprang back up, her yellow eyes glittering, and kick him off of her. Cry hit a rock but got right back up, springing at her. The she-cat dodged his attack and turned to trip it. Cry managed to avoid her back leg that was in his way, but he wasn't prepared for when she whirled around and stuck her forepaw in front of his back legs.

The tom stumbled forward. The she-cat leapt on top of his back and dug her teeth gently into his scruff.

"Alright, you win," grumbled Cry. The she-cat hopped off and watched as the dark brown tabby leapt to his feet.

Then the silver she-cat turned and saw Adderpaw. She tensed and meowed something to Cry. The tom nodded and padded off towards the shadows. A moment later he remerged with another cat that Adderpaw recognized, Branch of Ancient Oak, by his side.

"Hey Adderpaw," said Branch, rather sheepishly. The silver tabby was still hanging back and watching him anxiously. "Err, what are you doing here?"

Adderpaw didn't bother to answer him. "What are you doing here?" he asked rudely. "You have a whole forest to practice in, but instead you do it in the caves?"

The dark grey tom looked down. "The stone hides our scents."

Blinking in surprise, the light brown tabby tom looked around the cavern. There were only three cats, Branch, Cry, and the silver she-cat. There were no cave-guards or prey-hunters. "Why do you need your scents hidden?" he asked. "Are you doing this in secret?"

Branch bowed his head. "Listen, Adderpaw… We've run into a few SkyClan patrols lately while just out hunting. See, I'm training to be a prey-hunter, and so is Stream Where Small Trout Dance," he mewed, gesturing towards the silver she-cat.

Narrowing his eyes, Adderpaw glanced quickly from Branch to Stream, still not understanding. "What does that have to do with anything?" he asked curiously.

"We've seen how SkyClan warriors… they hunt and fight, right?" asked Branch, nervously scuffing the ground. "Well I wanted to learn how to fight as well… but I'm not training to be a cave-guard. Cry and Stream also sort of agreed that we should learn both, so we're teaching each other how to fight and hunt and stuff. It was mostly my idea."

"Mostly?" asked Adderpaw curiously.

He sighed. "Cry and Stream… they're pretty much fine with what Brackenteller wants. I'm a bit… different."

"What does Brackenteller want?" asked the pale brown tabby. Were these three to-bes going against rules set out in the Clan? It was like apprentices sneaking out at night or disobeying their mentor's orders.

"He wants prey-hunters and cave-guards," replied the young to-be. He looked very small, maybe only a little older than Marshkit. "I just… I thought it would be neat to learn both. Since the Time of Frozen Water is coming soon, it might come in useful."

Adderpaw narrowed his eyes. Branch made a good point. Leafbare was right around the corner, and the Tribe would need even more prey. But if most of their members were cave-guards, then they would need more prey-hunters.

The Clan cats were good prey-hunters.

Shaking his broad head from side to side, the lean tabby tried to clear his mind of the disturbing thoughts. _Would staying with the Tribe really be so bad?_ A voice inside of his mind pricked at him but he ignored it.

Branch shifted awkwardly from paw to paw. "Err, would you… would you mind sparring with us? It would be nice to practice our fighting skills against a real Clan cat."

Adderpaw perked up, his amber eyes gleaming with interest. "Of course," he purred, sizing Stream and Cry up. A rematch against Cry would be good, but Stream also looked like a worthwhile opponent. Her slim frame made her agile.

Eyes glowing, Adderpaw padded past Branch and towards the other to-bes. "Just say the word."

- - - x - - -

**A/N**: Alright, Chapter Eleven! I have nothing of Chapter Twelve written yet... I used to have a buffer between what I was writing and what I was posting, but I guess my laziness caught up to me.

So: I'd like to thank **KawaiiBoushi**, **Cinderpaw11**, **GinnyStar**, **Chene**, and **Icethroat21** for reviewing :) Also, thanks to everyone who added this to their story alerts or favourites, that was awesome :) Some of you are kinda worried that Brackenteller will be like Stoneteller. But while Brackenteller might want some of them to stay, he won't be like Stoneteller and try to force them to stay. Anyways, Stoneteller ended up being a pretty good cat in _Dawn _:)

Right, and all you guys get Branch plushies C:

Thanks for the support and the reviews 8D

_- Shocky_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Something soft tickled Shrewpaw's nose. He looked up, his amber eyes wide as he took in the sight above him. Soft white flakes floated lazily down from the clouds, beautiful light dots against the pale blue sky. The air carried the chill of the breeze, and Shrewpaw was reminded of the cold nests at Sunningrocks where ThunderClan had camped before the journey. The brown tabby shivered and ruffled his pelt to shake off the snow.

Dawn noticed his movement. "Are you alright?" she asked, brushing her tail along his flank. The two cats were hunting together, exchanging methods and experiences. They had slipped away early in the morning, and though Shrewpaw hadn't told anyone of his meeting with Brackenteller last sunrise, it weighed heavily on his mind.

He shook his head. "Nothing, it's just…" His voice trailed off as he stared at the ground. Then, unblinkingly, Shrewpaw tore his eyes away from the frost-covered bracken and turned his gaze onto Dawn. The ginger she-cat was staring at him, her green eyes soft.

"What is it?" she prodded gently, and suddenly Shrewpaw was reminded of his nest, curled up beside Squirrelpaw and telling her that a dream was just a dream. It seemed like so long ago. Where was she now? Was she with Brambleclaw, leaning against him, using _him_ for support?

The small brown tom improvised. "My brother," he said hastily, trying to shift his thoughts to Spiderpaw. How was his brother coping? After everything that Ferncloud and Dustpelt had been through, Shrewpaw hated the thought that he had caused his family even more pain.

"Were you two close?" asked Dawn quietly. They padded silently through the bracken, frost crackling underneath their paws. Shrewpaw found himself naturally gravitating towards her, padding so that their pelts were brushing.

He nodded. "Very close." Shrewpaw sighed and twisted his head to look at her, wondering if it was possible to convey all the sadness he felt with one glance. "I left my family behind… Larchkit and I… my mother must be devastated."

Dawn licked his cheek comfortingly. "My mother is dead," she told him, though her tone carried no sadness, only a muted certainty. "My brother Flames and I were never that close… he was to be a cave-guard, and I a prey-hunter."

Eyes wide, he stared at her. "Then who was your family?" Shrewpaw asked. He couldn't picture a life without siblings or parents to take care of and love. He knew cats always had their Clan, but was it enough to make do without family?

She purred softly. "Eagle and Run, Run of Worried Mouse, became my family, Shrewpaw. They're like a brother and sister to me. We hunt together and share prey together. Even when Run became a kit-mother for a few moons, she was still like a sister to me."

Shrewpaw nodded. "You're right," he said softly. "I'm sorry. In ThunderClan, too, our Clan is like kin to us. But… I just can't imagine anything replacing the real thing, y'know?"

"It's okay," replied Dawn, pressing her tail against his flank. With a start, Shrewpaw realized how much older she was than him. She was probably around Thornclaw's age, and he tried to convince himself that he thought of her like a mentor.

The ginger she-cat looked as though she wanted to say more when the cave-guard that had joined them called for them to be silent. "Someone's coming," grunted Flint, a heavyset grey tom. He shuffled his paws awkwardly, still unsure of how to treat the Clan cats. "I think it's Cloud."

Just then, a fluffy light grey she-cat burst through the trees. Her eyes were as pale blue as a robin's egg, and her frame was small. Cloud looked as though she had run all the way from Brackenrocks. "Brackenteller wants to see you," she panted, turning to Shrewpaw. "I don't know about what."

Shrewpaw cast an unsure glance at Dawn, but the ginger she-cat just nodded. The tom sighed and turned away from the prey-hunter, padding towards the to-be in front of him. "Is he at Brackenrocks?" he asked the grey she-cat.

Cloud That Brings Rain nodded, her messy neck fur springing out as she did so. Dawn twitched her whiskers in amusement while Flint barely managed to stifle a purr. Shrewpaw took one last look at Dawn before fixing his gaze on Cloud. "So take me to him then."

- - - x - - -

"The time of Frozen Water is upon us." Brackenteller was standing with his back to the young apprentice, facing the Cave of Thick Bracken. Bracken grew everywhere among the twisted trees, somehow managing to grow within the cavern despite the scarcity of light.

Shrewpaw nodded unsurely. "Back in the Clans we call it leafbare," he offered, kneading the ground with his paws. Brackenteller was acting mysteriously, and it was starting to unnerve the young brown tom.

"Most of our to-bes are training to become prey-hunters," murmured the old pale ginger tom. As he spoke, Shrewpaw could see that his muzzle was cracked white with age. "Yet when the land is frozen, that is when prey is scarcest. We will have too many prey-hunters and not enough prey. Their talents will be wasted. Our Tribe will be weak."

Shrewpaw's fur pricked uncomfortably. What was Brackenteller trying to say? Sitting down on the cool stone, he wrapped his tail around his paws. "Maybe you could designate more kits to become cave-guards," he offered. "Rubble looks like a strong kit."

Brackenteller blinked. "I don't think you understand, Shrewpaw," he mewed in a way that made Shrewpaw's skin crawl. "When the snow is on the ground, birds that used to attack the prey attack cats. Cave-guards are needed more than ever. But all our prey-hunters will be out hunting all the time, and they will not always be successful, yet they have to continue to try."

The brown tom tried to make sense of all this. "You're worried that your prey-hunters will be at risk while they hunt, and that most of the time this risk won't even pay off?" he ventured.

Nodding, Brackenteller shifted his glance to the small hole at the top of the cavern where light shined through. "The Tribe of Falling Leaves needs more cave-guards."

Shrewpaw's eyes widened. Did Brackenteller want them to stay with him? But they had already explained that they were Clan cats at heart. There was no way they would stay with the Tribe. He felt bad for their plight, but he couldn't do anything about it.

"If that's all, Brackenteller…" he began softly, eyes flickering from side to side as he tried to escape the conversation. "I need to get back to my friends. Larchkit is probably looking for me, and I want to share prey with her."

The pale ginger tom sighed resignedly but soon perked up, twitching his whiskers. "I saw her sharing prey with… what was his name? Thistlepaw? She seemed to be fine. But if you must go to her, you can."

Larchkit had been sharing prey with Thistlepaw? Shrewpaw felt a strange twinge in his stomach. _Jealousy?_ Why should he be jealous? Larchkit was allowed to make friends. Just because he was her brother didn't mean he could stop her.

Besides, she and Thistlepaw had had to survive together for a few days. It was natural that she would come to depend on him. The others were all depending on Shrewpaw to lead them, so it made sense for Larchkit to develop a bond with a cat who wasn't always stressed from decision-making.

"Shrewpaw?" Brackenteller's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and the small tom looked up at the older cat sheepishly.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "Err, thanks, for telling me where Larchkit is. Uh. I hope you guys are alright over Leafbare. Uh, I should go find the others now."

He watched a strange emotion flit through Brackenteller's gaze, but before he could identify it, the old tom had turned away. He was now watching the bracken intently, as if a sign was going to present itself, his tail flicking aimlessly in the air.

Shrewpaw took a hesitant step back before turning around and exiting the den, squeezing his small body through the less than large gap in the rock. The cold air buffeted him as he stepped outside, more flakes falling onto his coat, but he was too busy thinking about what Brackenteller had said to notice.

He padded down the rocks and into the main cavern that served as the camp for most of the Tribe cats. Larchkit and Thistlepaw were curled up together, their bellies rising and falling as they slept. Both of them looked content, and Larchkit was beginning to put some flesh back on her bones.

Shrewpaw let out a soft purr and switched his gaze to the next group of cats curled up together. Splashpaw lay stretched put in the rocky nook that served as her nest, Marshkit and Mosskit lying beside her. Only Adderpaw was nowhere to be found.

A movement from the entrance caught Shrewpaw's eye. Two cats filed in, Branch and Cry. Cry was flexing his claws as he strode arrogantly across the clearing, but Branch looked more nervous. The mottled grey tom was walking with his head down, as if he had something to hide.

The brown tom wanted to go over and talk to him, but before he could, he heard Larchkit's voice from behind him. "Shrewpaw?" she asked sleepily, and he turned to see her struggling wearily to her paws, on the verge of a yawn.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, padding over and licking her cheeking affectionately. Shrewpaw sat down slowly with a wince, still unused to the feeling of the harsh rocky ground against his body.

"Morning," greeted Thistlepaw as he opened his green eyes. The tom gingerly pulled himself to a sitting position, and Shrewpaw could see his long fur sticking up erratically where Larchkit had been leaning against him.

"It's evening," purred Larchkit, nosing him gently. Another spike of jealousy flared up within Shrewpaw and again he tried to push it down as Thistlepaw flicked an ear and nosed his sister back.

"Same thing," he grumbled. "I could sleep for a moon after all that food. I haven't been this full since…"

Shrewpaw winced. Every cat knew how gaunt and hungry WindClan had been by the time the journey had started. Thistlepaw and Adderpaw had been so skinny, but now the toms were beginning to regain some of their old strength.

Just as Thistlepaw looked as though he was going to reply, his gaze shifted to a point behind Shrewpaw. The brown tom whirled around to see Adderpaw striding towards them, his head held high and his amber eyes gleaming.

"Have you noticed that Brackenteller wants us to stay here?" he asked bluntly, swinging his head from side to side and daring any of them to challenge him.

Shrewpaw took an unsteady step back. He had noticed that, but why was Adderpaw being so direct about it? He noticed Larchkit and Thistlepaw were watching him intently, and even Splashpaw and the others were beginning to stir.

"Brackenteller talked to me today… he made it clear that he wants more cats over leafbare," said Shrewpaw easily, startled by the animosity he saw displayed in Adderpaw's eyes.

"I forgot," scoffed the light brown tabby. "You and Brackenteller have all these secret meetings that you don't tell any of us about until it's too late. Today, the one yesterday…"

Larchkit stared at him in surprise, and now Mosskit and Marshkit were also listening attentively. Shrewpaw sighed. "You're right. I do think that Brackenteller wants us to stay here. But it doesn't mean we have to. We can still move on."

"Where, though?" asked Splashpaw curiously. "Where is there to go?"

Adderpaw's eyes glinted, and Shrewpaw felt his stomach tightening. Had the angry apprentice overheard his first conversation with Brackenteller about SkyClan? Why hadn't he said anything about it? Didn't he want them to go find another Clan?

"We have to decide whether to stay or to go," mewed Shrewpaw resignedly. He had been hoping to stay a few more days with the Tribe so they could eat, but now it seemed as though there was no other choice. "All of us, together."

- - - x - - -

**A/N:** That's another chapter up! I won't be able to update for awhile, since I'm going on vacation for five or so days, but when I get back, I have another chapter ready to be put up.

Also, thanks to **Chene**, **Wildshadow24**, and **Icethroat21** for reviewing :D it's really appreciated, guys. You get Dawn plushies 8D and thanks to everyone who read this and enjoyed it. That's the point of it being posted up here - for you guys :)

So, will they stay? will they go? will they split up? and aww, I'm starting to like Dawn even more, even if she's a bit old compared to the others :)

Anyways, review, and thanks for reading!

_- Shocky_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

"Where would we go?" Splashpaw repeated. The ginger and white she-cat flicked her tail through the air, pulling her body closer to Marshkit.

"Brackenteller told me that sometimes the Tribe cats run into cats from a Clan," admitted Shrewpaw. He could feel the stares of his friends all on him, and as he turned to look at Larchkit, she looked away hastily.

It was Thistlepaw who broke the silence. "Why didn't you tell us this before?" asked the tom calmly, his green eyes betraying no emotion. Larchkit was pressing his muzzle into her fur to avoid looking at Shrewpaw, and he realized that she must feel betrayed.

"We were all so happy here," Shrewpaw said with a sigh. He curled his tail around his paws resignedly. "We were eating so much and I didn't want to have to leave right away, especially since finding a SkyClan patrol might be hard. We might not run into one. I don't think their territory extends out here. I just think they come by sometimes to check on the Tribe cats."

Marshkit narrowed his eyes. The black tom leapt to his feet, standing in front of Splashpaw protectively. The young apprentice shifted so that they were standing side by side, trying to stifle her amusement at his behaviour and focus her attention on Shrewpaw.

"It wasn't your decision to make," Marshkit pointed out evenly, and again Shrewpaw was struck by how mature this kit seemed. "It was for all of us to make. Together. You should have told us right away instead of keeping it a secret."

His fur began to prickle uncomfortably. "I'm sorry," murmured the brown tom, ducking his head. "You're right. I should have told all of you right away."

The others seemed to accept his apology. Larchkit took her muzzle out of Thistlepaw's fur, Marshkit let his neck fur lie flat, and Mosskit perked up. Only Adderpaw still looked angry. He ran a claw along the rock beneath them.

"Now that that's out of the way, we should decide whether or not we're staying," meowed Thistlepaw, sweeping his tail over Larchkit's flank. "Shrewpaw, you said that we might not be able to find this… this SkyClan, right?"

Shrewpaw nodded. "It's rare," he mewed. "But as long as we stick together, we should be able to find it."

The others gazed at him, as if waiting for him to continue. The words seemed to stick in his throat, and Shrewpaw struggled to get them out. "I think we should go and find SkyClan. We're Clan cats at heart. It's worth the risk."

"Then I'll come with you," said Thistlepaw with a nod. He got wearily to his feet, and Shrewpaw felt warmed by the faith the older apprentice had in him. Thistlepaw's green eyes shone with simply certainty in Shrewpaw's plan.

"Me too," said Larchkit, leaping up. She detached herself from Thistlepaw and padded over to Shrewpaw, pressing herself against him.

He turned his amber gaze towards Splashpaw. Casting one last glance at Marshkit, the ginger and white she-cat padded forward, her green eyes unusually serious. "I don't want to live the rest of my life in a Tribe," she mewed softly. "Of course I'll come with you, Shrewpaw."

"Well I won't." A scoff from Adderpaw reached his ears and the young brown tom turned. The former WindClan apprentice had his ears pressed back against his head, his amber eyes narrow. "I'm going to stay here."

Thistlepaw looked confused. "But why?" he asked, reaching out to press his muzzle against his friend's flank. For a moment, uncertainty seemed to flash through Adderpaw's eyes, but then it was gone and they were hard once more.

"We don't even know if SkyClan is close by, or if they'll take us. We might not find them in time, and leafbare is closing in," Adderpaw pointed out logically, and Shrewpaw sighed as he realized that Adderpaw was right. "The Tribe has food and shelter, and they need cave-guards. We could be good at that."

"We could be good at that, or _you_ could be good at that?" Thistlepaw's mew was calming but direct, and Shrewpaw found himself grateful once again for the spotted tom's help. "Adderpaw…"

Adderpaw lashed his tail before taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself. "I just think…" he began, trailing off. "If we wander through the forest in Leafbare, without food and without shelter… we might never find SkyClan. Even if we do, they might not take us in. Leafbare is hard for them as well, and we would be seven more mouths to feed. But the Tribe, they actually want us."

Shrewpaw remained silent. Despite his harsh tone, the light brown tabby made a good point, and the tom couldn't find a compelling counter-argument. Seeming to the shift in Shrewpaw's mentality, Adderpaw continued. "Wasn't it hard enough to find food before the journey started? Now you want to send us on another one. I don't know about you, Shrewpaw, but I didn't survive the fall just to die, frozen underneath a tree."

The bright spark in Larchkit's eyes faded. Shrewpaw wrapped his tail comfortingly around his sister, aware of Thistlepaw's presence on her other side. Even Splashpaw's cheer was muted by Adderpaw's pessimism.

The light brown tabby sighed. "Look," he said, fidgeting uncomfortably. "I'm going to go for a hunt, and then I'm going to tell Brackenteller I'll join the Tribe. Anyone else who wants to stay can come find me sometime between them."

With that, Adderpaw turned and stalked out of the cavern. Shrewpaw watched him go, wide-eyed. Then the small brown tom turned to Thistlepaw, feeling like a kit in need of reassurance.

"Will you still go with me?" he asked quietly.

Thistlepaw hesitated before dipping his head slowly, and the others around them seemed to relax. "As long as you believe that you're following StarClan's destiny, then I will follow you, Shrewpaw. You can trust me."

Shrewpaw's eyes glowed and he pressed his muzzle against the tom's shoulder, which was about as high as he could reach. "Thank you."

- - - x - - -

By the time Adderpaw had finished his hunt, a thin but hard layer of snow covered the ground. The tom winded his way through the tall trees, still a foreign sight to him, a thin squirrel clutched in his jaws. His catch was pitiful, and the tom wasn't used to hunting in the forest. It didn't really matter anyways – he was going to be a cave-guard.

Ever since he had spoken to Branch, Adderpaw had entertained that possibility. Only Cry was training to be a cave-guard, and while the other to-bes were learning fighting techniques, only Branch seemed to be that interested in them.

If Adderpaw joined the Tribe, then he wanted to be a cave-guard. The young apprentice could remember fighting training with his mentor, but that had been before WindClan had sheltered in the old warrens. It seemed like so long ago.

As the tom sighted Brackenrocks in the distance, he quickened his pace. He hadn't seen any of the others yet, and fear was beginning to gnaw a pit in his stomach. Had they all decided to leave? But they couldn't leave him all on his own. _They couldn't._

He brightened as he saw a cat padding towards him, but his face fell when he realized that it was just Cloud, out searching for the prey-hunting patrol so she could learn to hunt. As she passed him, he stifled a scoff. Who would want to be a prey-hunter when they could be a cave-guard?

His amber gaze focused on the next cat padding down the rocks. _Shrewpaw_. The small brown tom was moving gingerly, ears pricked as if he was on the lookout. As Adderpaw padded forward, he wondered if Shrewpaw was looking for him.

"Adderpaw!"

Apparently so.

The light brown tom dipped his head as he stopped his walk, gazing at Shrewpaw, who was now directly in front of him. "For some reason I don't think you came here to say that you would stay with the Tribe," he said, his tone carefully guarded.

Shrewpaw shook his head. "I didn't. I wanted to talk to you. Adderpaw, you should come with us. I don't want to leave you behind here. You're a Clan cat."

He narrowed his eyes. "I've made up my mind, Shrewpaw. If you don't want to leave me behind, then you should stay here with me. All of you. There's prey, and Brackenteller would love to have more cats to designate," said Adderpaw, thinking of what Branch had said.

Shrewpaw looked confused. Adderpaw just waved his tail dismissively, and the brown tom went on. "Oatwhisker said I had to travel with all six of you. StarClan wants me to do this, Adderpaw. You have to come, because I have to go."

Anger surged through the lean tom. He unsheathed his claws, neck fur fluffing up. "I thought you told me that we were more important than StarClan," Adderpaw snarled. "You said you wouldn't abandon any of us."

"I have to go on," pleaded Shrewpaw, his amber eyes sad. "I have to find where StarClan meant for me to be. That place isn't here."

Adderpaw lashed his tail angrily, his eyes glittering. "You promised that we were more important than StarClan. You promised that we would do this together. You lied, Shrewpaw. You promised that you wouldn't leave and you _lied_."

"Adderpaw…" Shrewpaw seemed to be losing his voice. "You can stay if you want."

All the anger drained out of the light brown tabby. That was it? Shrewpaw wasn't going to try and convince him any more than that? Was Shrewpaw really just letting him go? Adderpaw blinked at the smaller apprentice dumbly, unsure of what to think.

"But you'll be staying alone." A new hardness had entered Shrewpaw's eyes, and as the tom turned away, Adderpaw felt a twinge of unease.

Shrewpaw was about to pad away, but before he could, a new voice interrupted him. "That's not true."

It was Marshkit, padding down the rocks and through the briars towards him. Mosskit followed, stumbling over a large root. The black tom steadied his sister, his pace slow and restrained as he walked towards the two toms. His yellow eyes were full of sadness, but no regret shone in them as he took his place beside Shrewpaw.

"We're going to stay with you, Adderpaw," said Marshkit. He ducked his head, fixing his gaze on the ground, as if embarrassed to say that in front of Shrewpaw. "You're right about leafbare. It's too dangerous for Mosskit, well, for both of us, to go out looking for another Clan in the snow. We should stay with the Tribe. It'll be safer."

Adderpaw didn't see Shrewpaw's immediate reaction from behind the tom, but he did notice as the brown cat tensed slightly. Then Shrewpaw ducked his head. "I'll tell the others, then," he said softly. "Adderpaw, you should tell Brackenteller."

Words lodged in his throat, Adderpaw nodded. Shrewpaw looked so forlorn that he almost wanted to change his decision and go with the tom to find SkyClan. But he couldn't. He was going to be a cave-guard, and Mosskit and Marshkit were going to stay with him.

As Shrewpaw padded away, Adderpaw turned to Marshkit. There was no friendliness or warmth in the black tom's eyes, only a resigned glimmer. Mosskit sat huddled beside her brother, her fur fluffed up against the cold.

"Let's go find Brackenteller," said the light brown apprentice gruffly, turning away. As he padded up towards Brackenrocks, he could hear Marshkit and Mosskit fall into step behind him.

He had what he wanted. He was going to become a cave-guard, and two of the other six were going to stay with him. As he walked, Adderpaw could imagine the bright future he had with the Tribe. He would become the strongest cat there, father a litter of strong kits, and die bravely in a battle, saving his Tribe.

This was really all he had ever wanted. To belong.

- - - x - - -

**A/N:** This was all supposed to be in Adderpaw's POV but I wrote in wrong D: oh well. half and half. The POVs are going to stop changing every chapter pretty soon /consults chapter summaries.

So I didn't get a chance to reply to reviews - I just returned from vacarion about an hour or two ago - but thanks to **Chene**, **KawaiiBoushi**, and **Icethroat21** for reviewing! :D Err.. I don't know what plushies I have left to give you. You guys get Mosskit plushies :D is that new or a repeat? :(

Also, thanks to the two of your, **Orythea** and **San child of the wolves**, for adding this to your story alert. That's awesome, guys :)

Okay, so, they're splitting up. The next chapter's only half-written, so yeah... :)

anyways, thanks for reading :D

_- Shocky_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Brackenteller was waiting beside Splashpaw, his pale ginger head bowed and his hazel eyes clouded. As Shrewpaw padded towards him, the old tom looked up and mewed a greeting. Shrewpaw padding forward, casting an uncomfortable glance at Splashpaw. Had she fetched him?

"Splashpaw tells me that you've made up your mind about staying." Yes, she had. Brackenteller's voice was weary, as if he was a hundred moons older than he had been yesterday. The tom kept his gaze fixed on his sandy ginger paws while Shrewpaw fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Yeah," he replied slowly. "Brackenteller, we've decided to leave and to find SkyClan. We belong in a Clan, not with the Tribe. I'm sorry…"

Brackenteller sighed and dipped his head. "I suppose I can't do anything about that," he murmured resignedly. "Are all of you leaving?"

Cold claws clutched at Shrewpaw's heart and he shook out his pelt in an attempt to wrench it free. They were splitting up, even though they were supposed to stay together. Brackenteller must have noticed his hesitation, for a new gleam of life was entering the old tom's eyes. "No," said Shrewpaw finally. "Three of us are staying."

Hazel eyes sweeping over the assembled Clan cats, Brackenteller nodded slowly as his gaze passed over Thistlepaw, Larchkit, and Splashpaw. "I assume that these are the ones who are going with you?" he asked, though it wasn't much of a question. "The others are staying."

Shrewpaw nodded and Thistlepaw stepped forward, green eyes gentle and calm. "Thank you for your hospitality, Brackenteller," he mewed softly. "It won't be forgotten anytime soon. I hope that wherever we end up, we will always be friends with the Tribe."

Thistlepaw always knew exactly what to say. As he glanced past the grey-tailed tom, he noticed Larchkit staring at the former WindClan tom, her light brown eyes glowing with warmth. He pushed away his discomfort, nodding vaguely once more to Brackenteller.

"Thank you," meowed Brackenteller. He turned, and with a flick of his tail, beckoned two cats over. The first was a muscular black and white tom, and Shrewpaw's fur tingled as he recognized Dawn as the second cat.

"Swift, Dawn, you are to escort these cats to where we encounter the SkyClan patrols," instructed the old ginger tom. Swift nodded, accepting his task, but Dawn's acceptance came a little more slowly. She was watching Shrewpaw, her green eyes carefully neutral.

"They're leaving?" asked the bright ginger she-cat warily. Brackenteller nodded and Dawn absorbed the information guardedly. Then she turned to Shrewpaw and the others, dipping her head carefully. "As you wish."

Brackenteller cast one last glance at the group of travelling cats before turning and padding away, leaving them with just Swift and Dawn. Swift was the first to speak, clearing his throat rather awkwardly. "So, would you like to leave now?" he asked in a deep timbre.

Splashpaw nodded, speaking for all of them. "I've just eaten and I think everyone else is good too. We should leave as soon as possible before the snow drifts get too big. None of us want to freeze out there."

"Alright," agreed Swift. He shouldered past them and began to head towards the cavern exit, flicking his tail as he passed. "Follow me."

Splashpaw bounded after him, and Thistlepaw and Larchkit fell into step behind her. Shrewpaw found himself at the back, padding only a mouse-length in front of Dawn, who was keeping her gaze firmly fixed on Swift's tail.

"Hey," Shrewpaw greeted awkwardly. The silence stretched out between them.

Finally, Dawn gave a quiet sigh. "So you're really leaving?" she murmured quietly, her ginger tail moving aimlessly through the air behind her. She seemed to be focusing on her movement, placing paw after careful paw. Shrewpaw wondered if she was just trying to distract herself.

"Yeah," he said, clearing his throat. "Uh…"

"The Tribe isn't so bad, you know," she mewed quietly. "We all hunt together. If you stayed with us, you would come to like it here. I promise."

Shrewpaw placed his tail on her flank. The comforting gesture came naturally to him, but the prickle at the tip of his tail was a new sensation. "I'm not leaving _you_," he replied. "I'm leaving because I have to, Dawn. I hope you can understand that."

The she-cat nodded. "I do understand that," she mewed, gracing him with a warm glance. "I just wish that it didn't have to be like that."

"Me too." StarClan, she was probably moons older than him. Why was he suddenly acting like a warrior? He wasn't anything special. He was just a rather tiny and young ThunderClan apprentice. _SkyClan apprentice_, he corrected himself. That was his future.

If they even found this elusive SkyClan.

Dawn licked his ear. "It's okay, Shrewpaw," she meowed. "You might believe in different ancestors than we do, but whoever they are, they know what they're doing. Don't worry."

Shrewpaw wasn't so sure. He thought back to the stories he had heard about Bluestar, the ThunderClan leader who had given up so much for her Clan because StarClan had needed her too. She had lost everything. _Everything_. Still, Dawn's optimism warmed him. "Do you really think so?" he asked.

Her eyes gleamed. "I know so."

He blinked at her gratefully. "Thanks, Dawn," he mewed, bumping pelts with her. Then his gaze focused on the cats in the distance. "We're falling behind!" exclaimed the young tom.

Dawn looked up, her eyes glimmering with mischief. "I'll race you!" she challenged in her heavy accent, whiskers twitching in amusement. "Ready… go!"

She bounded off after Thistlepaw and Shrewpaw quickly pushed himself into a run, forcing his body to catch up with her. She beat him to the others and he skidded to a stop beside her, rolling his eyes good-naturedly.

"Don't get too tired," chastened Swift from the front, but Shrewpaw thought he detected a hint of humour in the cave-guard's tone.

The brown tom looked up, and all the warmth within him vanished as he saw Thistlepaw lean down to give Larchkit's ear an affectionate lick.

- - - x - - -

Swift lead them towards a river that was winding through the trees. It was covered by a light sheet of ice, but as Swift effectively demonstrated with a light paw, it broke easily, revealing the murky and dangerous depths of the water.

So don't fall in, he had added pointedly before turning away and following the river, padding close to its bank. The black and white tom had explained that if they followed the river, it would lead them to beginning of a gorge where they had run into the SkyClan patrols.

"There's a pretty large Twolegplace not far from here, so you can't head too far in that direction," the well-muscled cave-guard said, nodding his head towards where the sun now was now beginning to set. Shrewpaw didn't see how he knew his way around so well, especially after Dawn had told him that the Tribe didn't need to mark their boundaries. The small brown tom was already completely lost.

"I wonder if the stream we saw earlier turned into this river," mused Splashpaw, casting a lingering glance at the dark water that swirled underneath the opaque sheet of ice. She had been unusually downcast since they had left.

"The one we saw earlier could have come from WindClan territory," remarked Thistlepaw, still padding behind the ginger and white she-cat. "That would mean it would be easy to find our way back to the old territories… not that there's anything left."

"That sounds like something Marshkit would have said," replied the she-cat, twitching her whiskers miserably. Her green eyes clouded and she swung her head back around to watch Swift. The lame attempt at humour hadn't helped, and it seemed to have made her even more downcast.

Thistlepaw sighed and picked up his pace, Larchkit padding behind him. As they followed their friends, Dawn turned to Shrewpaw curiously. "What did he mean, not that there's anything left?" she asked quietly.

Shrewpaw realized that they had never fully explained their situation to the Tribe. He sighed and scuffed his paws on the brittle ground. "We were separated from our Clans, like I told Brackenteller. But… our Clans were crossing the mountains, trying to find a new place to live. The Twolegs… they came and destroyed our forest. Our prey was gone, our camps were gone, everything…"

Beside him, Dawn's eyes grew cloudy. "I could not imagine Brackenrocks being destroyed," she murmured softly. "I can't even imagine ever leaving my home."

For some reason, her words sent an uncomfortable twinge through Shrewpaw, but the tom tried to push it aside. It had been obvious from the start that Dawn would never join SkyClan with them. Besides, if she did, what then? She would be a warrior and he would be an apprentice.

For a moment, Shrewpaw felt a terrible urge to give up on his quest and to take Dawn and run back to the Tribe, and spend the rest of his days there.

Then the brown tom pushed it aside and picked up the pace, trying to get even closer to Thistlepaw and Larchkit. Dawn followed uncertainly, and Shrewpaw immediately felt guilty. She was probably wondering if she had done something wrong.

"By the time the sun falls beneath the horizon, we'll be at the edge of the gorge," called Swift from up ahead. Shrewpaw turned away from Dawn quickly, perhaps too quickly, and tried to focus all his attention on Swift's muscular form.

When he had first met the black and white tom, he had been struck by how small Swift seemed compared to the other cave-guards, especially Bramble. But now, seeing the way the spotted cat walked with confidence and ease, his muscles rippling underneath his sleek pelt, he could see how Swift had adopted to his assignment.

Dawn had said that kits were given their assignments at birth. What happened if a kit that looked small turned out to be strong and powerful, or a large kit didn't grow very much? Could they decide to change jobs, or did they just have to adopt, like Swift had?

"The gorge?" Larchkit's inquisitive voice broke the small brown tom out of his thoughts. He perked up, ears swivelling towards his sister. She sounded a little nervous, and Shrewpaw could imagine why. In the middle of the night it wouldn't be hard to accidentally slip off the edge of the cliffs.

He was sure that none of them wanted to go through that ever again.

Swift nodded. "The edge of the woods by the gorge is where we've met the SkyClan patrols before. We don't know how close to that they live, but there are some scent markings there."

"That would be the edge of their territory!" Thistlepaw said cheerfully, his green eyes brightening. The long-haired apprentice looked happier than Shrewpaw had seen him since he had fallen off the edge try to save Larchkit.

Shrewpaw realized that the Tribe cats wouldn't know that since they never marked their territory, but the realization that SkyClan was closer than they had previously thought sent hope swelling up within the small tom's chest.

"We'll find them," meowed the tom, though he spoke to no one in particular. "We have to."

Swift led them to a stop by a bend in the river where the scents of mice were thick. He nodded to them, casting a meaningful glance at Dawn. "Hunt for awhile," he said cheerfully. "Once you've eaten, we'll start moving again."

Shrewpaw padded over to the river, the frosty bracken crunching underneath his paws. Snow was beginning to fall, the clouds swollen too far trying to contain it. A flake landed on his nose and the tom shivered. As he turned to go look for food, he saw Splashpaw padding up behind him.

"Want to hunt?" she asked him. Shrewpaw looked past her to see Thistlepaw instructing Larchkit on the proper hunting crouch. Those two were obviously hunting together. Dawn had padded off, and Swift was standing guard by the river, his ears alert.

Shrewpaw nodded and got to his paws. As they were padding towards the bracken, Splashpaw cast him a nervous glance. "How you do think a Clan was started out in the middle of, well, nowhere?" she asked. "Do you think they still have StarClan?"

He gulped. It was a good question. What if they found SkyClan only to discover that these cats believed in far different warrior ancestors? Shrewpaw sighed and looked at her slowly, his amber eyes burning with hope. "They're Clan cats just like we are," he replied. "They _have_ to."

- - - x - - -

**A/N: **Aw, Splashpaw's all lonely :( and it already looks like there's one canon pairing on the rise. Anyways, nothing really happened in this chapter. Just talk. Sorry it took so long to update, I was rushed off on a very impromptu car trip which I was given about nine hours warning for.

Okay, thanks to **TwillaChan**, **Chene**, and **Icethroat21** for reviewing the last chapter :D you guys all get coveted Swift plushies! :) Also, thanks to everyone who read.

For the milestone that is Chapter Fifteen, we'll be flipping back to Adderpaw's POV... if that's even going to be his name anymore after he joins the Tribe...

So the Erins released _SkyClan's Destiny_, the latest Super Edition, which will definately conflict with Tumult... not that my story was canon anyways, but shh, it is with a few tweaks :) Anyways, after looking at the SkyClan allegiances from that book (Billystorm? Frecklepaw? Macgyver? I realize they're just 'Daytime Warriors' from what I skimmed of Warriors Wiki, but still) I've decided just to use my own for this, without any added cats :D

Thanks for reading, and please review! :)

-_ Shocky_


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Adderpaw and his followers padded past the broad trees, their wide branches now empty of leaves, and approached Brackenrocks long after Shrewpaw and the others had left. They had waited awkwardly, not wanting to make things more complicated than they had to be. Adderpaw figured he would only approach Brackenteller once Shrewpaw was gone. That way, there would be no accusatory glares or injured glances.

As he scrambled up the slabs of rock, using his muscular front legs to heave himself over the side, Adderpaw was aware of Marshkit and Mosskit's eyes fixed on him. He knew that they would rather had gone with Shrewpaw, but they had said it themselves: it was safer to stay with the Tribe during leafbare instead of wandering off in search of something they might never find.

When they entered the main cavern, they weren't surprised to find Brackenteller sitting there waiting for them, his ginger tail tucked neatly over his paws and his sides flanked by two large cave-guards. Adderpaw recognized them as Bramble and Flames, each one seeming to tower over the other as he switched his gaze between them.

"So you've decided to stay," said Brackenteller evenly. It wasn't a question.

Adderpaw nodded, realizing with a start that Marshkit and Mosskit were counting on him to be the leader. It was an odd feeling for the pale brown tabby, so used to following wherever Shrewpaw led on one of his StarClan-based whims.

"We'd like to stay with the Tribe," he meowed softly. "We'd like to stay with you, if you would have us. Falling off the edge shook us all up… I think what we need is a home. A place to settle."

He was aware of Branch and Cloud watching him anxiously from the corner. Stream sat pressed against Branch, but he wasn't paying any attention, instead watching the three former Clan cats. Cloud had her gaze firmly fixed on Adderpaw, and he wondered if they were so interested because he would be able to teach them new skills.

The memory of the fight practice in the cavern flooded through his mind and Adderpaw longed to be back there again, tussling with Stream and Cry. Soon, he told himself, soon he would be one of them. Another to-be. Another Tribe cat.

Brackenteller nodded. "It's good to have you. But you'll need Tribe names."

Adderpaw watched as the grey-tinged tom turned and bellowed at the top of his lungs, which wasn't exactly very loud. "All Tribe cats, assemble here."

They filtered in from the shallow dips at the sides of the cavern, and Adderpaw recognized Shadow herding along her two kits. Behind her strode another she-cat and a light brown tabby tom who Adderpaw thought was Eagle. They moved silently but quickly, surrounding Brackenteller and the three non-Tribe cats.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" asked Brackenteller quietly, meeting all of their gazes in turn. Adderpaw swallowed before nodding roughly, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mosskit and Marshkit do the same.

"Very well." Brackenteller exhaled, a long slow breath. Then he looked back up, his amber eyes glinting in the relative darkness. "In front of the Tribe of Endless Hunting, I take away your former names. You stand before me now bare, but you will soon hold new names, names of different ancestors."

He turned to Mosskit first. The tortoiseshell swiped her tongue around her jaws nervously but said nothing. She looked quite nervous, with her amber eyes wide and her fur fluffed up against the cold. "You were once Mosskit. Now you shall be Moss of Silver Rocks, a to-be, and one day a prey-hunter."

Moss and Brackenteller touched noses before he moved on to Marshkit. The black kit was sitting up straight, his golden eyes set in determination. "You were once Marshkit," began the pale ginger tom. "Now you shall be Marsh that Lies in Wait, a to-be, and one day a cave-guard."

Marsh dipped his head and the two cats touched noses. Brackenteller moved on to Adderpaw before pausing and sighing deeply. His amber eyes met Adderpaw's, which flashed briefly. Taking a deep breath, Brackenteller recited the ceremonial words. "You were once Adderpaw," he mewed. "Now you shall be Adder that Strikes the Prey, a to-be, and one day a cave-guard."

Adder blinked proudly and sat up straight, showing off his powerful shoulders to the rest of the Tribe. This was his destiny, he was sure of it. His destiny was to become a cave-guard in the Tribe of Falling Leaves, not to follow some star. Let Shrewpaw have his own destiny – this one belonged to Adder.

He and Brackenteller touched noses and then suddenly the old tom turned away. Adder started to go after him, but Bramble held him back. "There is nothing more to say in the ceremony," rumbled the dark brown tabby. "You are Tribe cats now. Brackenteller has gone to share with the Tribe of Endless Hunting."

Adder narrowed his eyes, but Marsh quickly intervened. "Okay," he said hastily, butting in between the two larger cats. As the black tom turned away from Bramble and towards Adder, the pale tabby caught a glimpse of what was almost regret in his eyes. "Thanks."

Snorting, Adder turned away and found himself face to face with Flint. The grey tom dipped his head. "Welcome to the Tribe," he said evenly. "Your training as a cave-guard will commence tomorrow. Until then, feel free to chat and swap prey."

Then Flint was gone. Adder watched him go before turning back to Marsh, only to discover that Marsh had also moved on. The to-be was sharing prey with Moss, taking a bite out of a squirrel before switching it with her mouse.

"Hey Adder," greeted Branch warmly, padding up to him. When he next spoke, his voice was quiet. "Want to do some more battle training later tonight?"

Adder nodded and Branch padded off, followed closely by Stream. He watched them going, his mind whirling._ Adder_. That was his name now.

"Adder," he said softly, tasting his new name on his tongue. "Adder that Strikes the Prey."

- - - x - - -

He spent the rest of the day lounging about in the cavern, too scared to face the forest with his new name. Whenever he looked out the entrance to the Tribe's camp, he swore he could see the barren trees glaring at him, lunging at him, ready to slice him apart.

Rubble padded up to him curiously and prodded his shoulder with a large black paw. Adder turned, ears flat against his skull. "What do you want?" he asked darkly, expecting to see some sort of spite in the kit's eyes. But there was only respect.

"Are you really, really strong?" asked the large kit in awe, plopping down on his haunches. Adder hesitated a moment before pulling himself up to a sitting position and puffing out his chest heroically.

"Yup," he replied, affirming the kit's question. A feeling of happiness surged through him. If all the cats in the Tribe treated him with this kind of respect, he could grow to like it here.

It would be like being back in WindClan. _No! _Adder cast the thought out of his mind. His WindClan life – no, his entire Clan life – was over now. He was a Tribe cat, a to-be, and one day he would be just as strong and powerful as Bramble.

In fact, he thought as he eyed Rubble, he would have kits of his own one day. The she-cat didn't matter, as long as his kits were strong and healthy. Then one day, they too would grow to serve the Tribe. They would be swift and strong, and loyal to the warrior code –

There was no warrior code here.

Adder sighed and turned to look at Rubble, who was watching him with interest. As Adder swung his head around to face the kit, the young tom leapt up excitedly. "I'm going to be really strong too one day!" he crowed excitedly.

"Are you now?" Adder asked with a yawn, laying his head back down on his paws. All he wanted to do was sleep so he could wake up the next day and start his Tribe life, but it was as if the comfortingly blackness wouldn't come.

Rubble nodded and then looked up suddenly as a shadow fell over them. Adder glanced up, but breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it was only Marsh and Moss. Moss was hiding behind her brother, as if she was scared to be seen as one of the Tribe.

"Hey Rubble," greeted Marsh. He was probably only three or four moons older, yet he seemed so mature next to the young Tribe kit. Now a to-be, Marsh walked with a new confidence.

The small kit turned and looked up at Marsh with wide eyes. Then, after sizing him up, he wrinkled his nose. "You're too small to be a cave-guard," he commented pettily.

Marsh turned to look at Adder, who shrugged. Then, to both his and Marsh's surprise, Moss spoke up definitely from behind her brother. "Marshkit… Marsh is stronger than he looks. I bet he could beat you up any day."

Rubble opened and closed his mouth a few times soundlessly, evidently as dumbfounded as the two older toms beside him. In the short time Adder had known Moss, he had learned that she, for all her intelligence, was quiet and nervous.

Then the black kit looked up. Shadow was padding over to them slowly, her tail flicking lazily through the air as she aimed towards Rubble. "Sorry if he was causing any trouble," she apologized to the three new to-bes before g up the kit with her tail and pulling him away.

"I'm glad our mother wasn't like that," commented Marsh, nudging Moss with his shoulder. The mention of Tallpoppy, however, only seemed to sadden the pretty tortoiseshell. Moss sighed and sat down wearily.

Marsh licked his sister's shoulder comfortingly before turning back to Adder. "Am I small for a cave-guard, then?" he asked.

"I think back with the Clans, you would have been a good warrior," answered Adder evasively. He knew that the Tribe had too many prey-hunters, and that Brackenteller wanted cave-guards badly enough to sort Marsh to the wrong group. "Good at hunting and fighting. But here, here you have to choose. If you had been a prey-hunter, you would have been too strong for one."

Marsh blinked warmly at Adder's compliment before narrowing his eyes. "What aren't you telling me?" he asked. Then the tom shook his head with a sigh. "Never mind. I don't want to know. Our Clan lives are over, so I might as well make the best of this one."

"Okay," replied Adder calmly. The reason Brackenteller had wanted them to stay really wasn't that difficult to figure out, and he knew Marsh would reason it out eventually, even if he didn't really care to know. Adder respected that in the young tom – he accepted what happened without question and just tried to do his best with it.

"But what if there really was a SkyClan?" Moss asked nervously. "Were we wrong to stay here?"

They turned to look at her, and there was no mistaking the sympathy in Marsh's eyes as he placed his tail over his sister's flank. "You know I promised to look out for you?" he asked.

Moss nodded and Marsh continued. "Well I am. StarClan understands why we stayed here. They won't hold it against you, Moss. This is the safest place for us right now. That's why we stayed here, and they understand that."

"But what about Shrewpaw's quest?" she asked quietly.

Adder's amber eyes flashed angrily. "Shrewpaw's quest," he echoed with a snort. "Shrewpaw gave it up the moment he decided to leave without us. Just forget about him, Moss. He isn't here right now. Marsh and I, we're the ones who stayed with you. Marsh stayed _for you_. So just leave Shrewpaw out of this. He isn't worth it."

Moss pressed against her brother and Marsh gave Adder an angry glare, though it soon faded into weariness. "We're all tired," he mewed as Adder looked away with a snort. "Maybe tomorrow, things will seem better."

Adder sighed and nested into one of the shallow dips that served as nests. Just as he was closing his eyes, he saw Moss separate from her brother and look up at him, about to speak.

"I hope so."

- - - x - - -

**A/N:** I don't really like the first half of this chapter... and in the second half, Adder's too nice :( It feels weird calling them Marsh, Moss, and Adder now, instead of by their Clan names. Oh well, this won't go on forever... will it?

Thanks to **Ginnystar**, **Icethroat21**, **The Queen of Pens**, and **Addie Bear **for reviewing :D You guys are amazing, and you all get Flint plushies! :D /throws them out to the crowd. Flint's not a major character, but he's pretty chill. Doesn't really do much, but at least he isn't a bad guy :)

Not much to say. Next chapter we flip back to Shrewpaw and his gang as they wander onto SkyClan territory. Alright, this marks chapter 15/50 :D that's almost half-way. Okay, not really. It's almost almost half-way :D

Thanks for reading, and let me know what you liked/didn't like, or who your favourite character is at this point!

Review :)

_With love, Shocky._


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Night had almost fallen. The sun burned an orange hole in the horizon, casting pale streaks of lavender and rose over the darkening blue sky. Temperatures had dropped and snow had begun to fall, rapidly accumulating on the earth until snow covered the bushes and large drifts threatened to overwhelm some of the shorter trees.

Larchkit padded along beside Thistlepaw, her short fur fluffed out against the cold. Even the white and grey tom, with his long fur, was shivering slightly as he drew his tail around the small kit beside him. Swift was warming Splashpaw, keeping his body pressed against hers and his tail over her flank. Her green eyes were unusually dim and she padded forward wordlessly.

Leaning against Dawn, Shrewpaw managed his way through the ever-growing piles of snow. He had never experienced leafbare like this in the Clans, but he had heard stories of terrible leafbares. He could remember Cloudtail telling them how he caught a vole in the forest as a kit, and none of the patrols had been able to find him with his white fur.

"Are you alright?" asked Dawn as Shrewpaw barely managed to clear a large pile of snow. He was tired, but the thought of finding SkyClan gave him energy.

The brown tom flicked an ear towards Larchkit, who was struggling along in the snow. "It's not me you should be worried about," he mewed, unable to disguise the bitterness in his voice. He should be grateful to Thistlepaw for helping his sister, not angry at the tom.

"I think Thistlepaw has it under control," murmured Dawn, as if she had read his thoughts. The ginger she-cat sighed and placed her tail on Shrewpaw's flank. "She will have to grow up one day. You know that."

Her words strung and Shrewpaw shrugged them off. Before he had a change to spitefully ignore her properly, Swift called them to a halt. The muscular tom gesture over through the trees with a paw and as Shrewpaw looked, he saw the red tops of Twoleg nests.

"It means we're getting close to where we usually find their scents," explained Swift. "I don't know how SkyClan can live so close to Twolegs, but from what I've seen, they're not accustomed to life in the forest."

As he resumed walking, Shrewpaw blinked and padded closer to Larchkit. "But we're forest cats!" he hissed under his breath. "Larchkit, how will we survive with cats that aren't used to the forest? We'll have to learn how to hunt all over again."

"Not all of us are forest cats," said Thistlepaw bluntly, not bothering to look at Shrewpaw. "I'm from WindClan and Splashpaw is from RiverClan. It seems like going to the place that none of us are used to makes it more equal for all of us."

Shrewpaw blinked and suddenly felt ashamed. Of course Thistlepaw was right. How had he managed to forget that they all came from different Clans and different territories? He dipped his head. "You're right, Thistlepaw. I'm sorry."

The grey-eared tom relaxed and let out a long sigh. "Don't worry about it," he said finally. "All of us are stressed right now, and for good reason."

As they padded through the forest, the sun dipped behind the horizon. It seemed as if one moment, there was light, and the next there wasn't. Shrewpaw blinked in surprise. But they had been walking for a long time. Had he really not noticed the darkness until now?

Swift stopped and gingerly separated himself from Splashpaw. The black and white tom turned to face the others, who slowed to a stop correspondingly. He flicked his ears and gestured behind him with a flick of his tail, but kept his gaze fixed on the others. "We're nearing the edge to the gorge. We'll stop for the night here and then bring you to the edge tomorrow."

"Why tomorrow?" asked Larchkit curiously, her small voice high-pitched and eager despite the cold.

"Do you fancy trying to climb down a cliff in the middle of the night?" asked Swift with an amusement twitch of his whiskers. Obviously taking her silence as a no, the burly tom began to designate sleeping areas.

"There are some hawthorn bushes there. Underneath them we should be able to dig out the snow and make nests. I know the snow seems cold, but it'll insulate us when we sleep, and branches above should do the rest. Two to a hollow," he announced before promptly padding over to the closest bush.

Splashpaw followed him and together they began digging it out, looking like patches of orange and black against the snow backdrop. Shrewpaw watched, twitching his whiskers, until Dawn appeared at his side. He didn't have to ask to know that Thistlepaw and Larchkit had paired off, and so he followed the beautiful ginger she-cat.

They dug out a hollow in the snow together, using their forepaws to scoop out the powdery white drifts. Shrewpaw felt the urge to start up a conversation, but the cold was too harsh and he didn't want to waste his energy. Besides, their silence was companionable and the tom rather enjoyed it.

When the nest scoop was finished, Dawn clambered in first. Shrewpaw followed hesitantly, curling up next to her. The hawthorn branches above them were covered in snow, but there was a small – and now quite warm – area from them to breathe and move around.

"Is this what the rest of your journey has been like?" Dawn asked once they had settled in. He looked at her curiously and she was quick to elaborate. "I mean just sleeping in different places every night, always being on the move."

"Oh," he replied slowly. "I guess so, yeah. I don't know how long we've been travelling. I guess we've spent the better part of a moon just sleeping in a different place each night."

"Was it hard?" asked Dawn quietly.

Shrewpaw blinked and shook his head. "It was at first," he whispered, not sure what to say. Words churned around inside of him, yet none of them could make it up his throat. "But we got used to it… The further we got from our Clans, the easier it became."

"SkyClan is never going to replace your true Clan, is it?" asked Dawn, blinking sympathetically.

The brown tom yawned and shook his head sadly, his amber eyes tired. "ThunderClan, and no, it isn't. But it will have to do. You told me yourself that StarClan knew what they were doing."

Dawn was silent for a moment before she hesitantly continued. "I know what I said and I still believe it, but… Do you ever think about what would have happened if you had tried to find your Clans after falling instead?"

He winced, and when he next spoke, Shrewpaw's voice was uncharacteristically bitter. "I think about that every day, Dawn. I wish I could be back with my Clan. I wish I could be back with Firestar, with Ferncloud, with Dustpelt, with Squirrelpaw…"

"Squirrelpaw?" she prompted, having caught the flood of emotions in his voice.

"My friend back in ThunderClan," he explained hastily, suddenly feeling awkward. There was a hint of humour in Dawn's eyes, but it was quickly overshadowed by a solemn understanding. She knew, so there was no point in hiding it. "I guess I hoped one day we would be more than friends."

Dawn nodded with a sigh. "You miss her?" she guessed. "If you had stayed with your Clan…?"

"No," said Shrewpaw firmly. "She was in love with somebody else."

There was a long silence. Fighting waves of bitterness and pain, Shrewpaw turned to look at Dawn and found that she had turned to look at him. Noses nearly touching, his heart began to pound against his ribs. "What about you?" he asked breathlessly. "Was there ever anyone…?"

Dawn exhaled slowly and a few flakes of snow dropped onto her muzzle. Green eyes solemn, she shook her head. "There was a tom who wanted to father my kits. But was there ever anyone that I loved? No."

Shrewpaw was finding it harder and harder to breathe. "You said you would never leave the Tribe…" he whispered, and he didn't have to explain what he meant. Both of them understood the implications. "Did you mean it?"

She nodded. "I'm sorry, Shrewpaw."

Pressing her muzzle against his shoulder comfortingly, Dawn felt silent. Shrewpaw sighed once more, his fur tingling where she had placed herself. "Not even to come with me?" he ventured in a hoarse meow.

"Shrewpaw…" He wondered if he was just imaging the emotion in her voice. "Would you give up the quest that StarClan gave you to stay in the Tribe with me?"

He didn't even have to hesitate. "No," he said firmly as the whole thing became clear to him. He had feelings for Dawn, sure, feeling that she returned. But he was still young, maybe too young, and he had a whole life ahead of him. He had a destiny that didn't include her.

Besides, he was just an apprentice. Nothing could happen now. But one day, he reminded himself as he swept his amber gaze over Dawn, one day he would be a warrior. A full-grown cat. Maybe then he could start thinking about all the possibilities with Dawn again.

Weariness overwhelmed him and he found his eyes beginning to close no matter how hard he tried to keep his gaze fixed on Dawn. Blackness overwhelmed his vision and his head sank to his paws, surrounded by the white walls of snow.

The last thing he felt before sleep overwhelmed him was Dawn gently grooming behind his ears and down his back.

- - - x - - -

When he woke up, his fur was damp from melting snow. It had warmed up as the sun rose, and now the snow was only piled at half its previous height. Shrewpaw blinked and opened his eyes, yawning as he did so. The light being reflected off of the snow was bright, and he tried to look up instead of at the light as he struggled to his paws and climbed out of the den.

Dawn had already left, and for a moment panic seized his heart, but then the brown tom saw her padding towards him, carrying a mouse in her jaws. He relaxed and turned, noticing that the others, with the exception of Splashpaw, were already awake.

Swift padded over to the hollow that he and Splashpaw had shared, a tiny vole clutched in his jaws. Despite its pitiful size, Shrewpaw found his stomach rumbling for something to eat. Luckily, Dawn was planning on sharing her mouse.

They ate quickly before Swift announced that they needed to get a move on. The others agreed fervently. Even Larchkit, who still seemed so tired that she could fall asleep on her paws, agreed enthusiastically.

And so they set off. Swift lead them right to the last tree of the forest before stopping. In front of them lay a sparse grassy area, covered in light snow, mere foxlengths away from the edge of the gorge. Shrewpaw hesitated behind the black and white tom, burning with excitement.

"This is where we leave you," said the cave-guard solemnly.

Thistlepaw and dipped his head, and Splashpaw seemed a little saddened by this. Larchkit spoke up, obviously voicing all of their concerns. "Why can't you come in further with us?" she asked.

"Just because the Tribe and SkyClan aren't enemies doesn't make us friends," murmured Swift. He dipped his head to them and turned away, padding back through the trees.

Splashpaw hesitated a moment before padding to the cliff's edge. Shrewpaw watched as she nervously took a look around. Then, triumphantly, she announced that she had found a path down. Thistlepaw and Larchkit padded over to join her, but Shrewpaw stayed where he was.

He needed to say goodbye to Dawn.

The brown tom turned and padded over to where she was standing at the tree line. "Thanks for everything," he murmured softly, pressing his muzzle to her shoulder.

She licked his ear and he looked up, casting one last glance into her brilliant green eyes. Then, at a call from Larchkit, he turned and padded off towards his new life.

Towards SkyClan.

- - - x - - -

**A/N:** I'm trying my best _not_ to ship SwiftxSplash but it's so hard asdf. I think, if anything, she has a celebrity crush on him and he sees her as a daughter, sort of. NOT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING BETWEEN THEM. You know how it is when characters just to decide to write themselves ;w; Still, I'd give anything to know what they talked about before falling asleep.

I started this chapter all 'what am I going to write about for 2000 words?', but then Swift gave me the snow hollow idea and voila, we get a brilliant ShrewxDawn scene :) this become one of my favourite chapters to write so far.

Anyways, thanks to **Ginnystar**, **Invader Ang**, **Icethroat21**, **Apprentice Writer**, and **Purechaos4u** for reviewing :D No plushies today because I'm out of characters (except for Inavder Ang, who gets a Rubble plushie because they specifically requested it) but you all get lemon meringue pie C:

I think the next couple of chapters will be Shrewpaw's POV and then I'll flash back to Adder, but it'll be more Shrewpaw from now on :)

Anyways, thanks for reading and please leave a review!

_- Shocky_


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